Author: Chalian Meline

​Azerbaijan reclaims key city near Nagorno-Karabakh (with several links)

Chalian Meline
Aug 26 2022
Azerbaijan reclaims key city near Nagorno-Karabakh
The leader of Azerbaijan says the country has reclaimed control of a strategic city on the edge of Nagorno-Karabakh

By The Associated Press
, 6:24 PM

MOSCOW — Azerbaijan has reclaimed control of a strategic city on the edge of Nagorno-Karabakh, the leader of Azerbaijan said Friday.

President lham Aliyev said Azerbaijani forces have moved into the city of Lachin and two nearby villages. “I congratulate Lachin residents and the entire people of Azerbaijan,” he tweeted.

Lachin sits on a road that has served as the main link between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan has reclaimed control of the city and the “Lachin corridor” after building an alternate route in line with a Russia-mediated truce that ended a 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994.

During a six-week war in 2020 that killed more than 6,600 people, Azerbaijan reclaimed large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas that had been controlled for decades by the Armenia-backed separatists.

The cease-fire in 2020 was mediated by Russia, which deployed about 2,000 troops to the region to serve as peacekeepers.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/azerbaijan-reclaims-key-city-nagorno-karabakh-88895905

ALSO READ

Azerbaijan reclaims key city near Nagorno-Karabakh – KRDO
Armenian Investigators Say Surmalu Markets Deputy Director Arrested Over Deadly Blast – UrduPoint
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/armenian-investigators-say-surmalu-markets-d-1552940.html
Azerbaijani troops stationed in Lachin city of Karabakh: Aliyev – Islamabad Post
https://islamabadpost.com.pk/azerbaijani-troops-stationed-in-lachin-city-of-karabakh-aliyev/
Azerbaijan takes over Lachin city in line with Armenia peace deal | Conflict News | Al Jazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/26/azerbaijan-takes-over-lachin-city-in-line-with-armenia-peace-deal

Expert on regional matters: Azerbaijan vehicles will travel more than 350km in Armenia territory

Chalian Meline
NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 22 2022
10:07, 22.08.2022

The National Security Service (NSS) of the Republic of Armenia (RA) has already put into circulation the document prepared on the basis of the instructions by PM Nikol Pashinyan, and which plans to open three checkpoints with Azerbaijan for the movement of vehicles. TV journalist, expert on regional matters Nairi Hokhikyan wrote about this on Facebook and, also, publicized a map attached to this post.

“As we learn from the announcement of the NSS, there will be checkpoints in Sotk-Karvachar (near Vardenis) of Gegharkunik Province, Karahunj (near Goris) of Syunik Province, and Yeraskh of Ararat Province.

Since Azerbaijan regularly insists on the need for a land connection with Nakhichevan, we realize that the most important checkpoint for it is in Yeraskh, near which, on the hill, there are Azerbaijani strongholds for a long time already.

The other two checkpoints, Sotk and Karahunj, will connect the north and south of Azerbaijan with the Sadarak settlement of Nakhichevan.

Since the safety of the Azerbaijanis must be specially ensured, I assume that their convoys will be accompanied by military personnel—probably Russians, or even Armenian policemen. The sad experience of Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh))] shows that during the hours when Azerbaijani convoys pass through Armenian roads, they are closed for Armenians.

It turns out that Azerbaijani vehicles will travel more than 350km in the territory of Armenia in a convoy and armed escort—blocking local and international roads, prohibiting the free movement of RA residents.

This is the reality that awaits us if Nikol Pashinyan’s arrangement and instruction is fulfilled,” Hokhikyan added, in particular.

Georgia a key transit country for Armenia – Armenian PM

Chalian Meline

Aug 19 2022

Georgia as a transit country is of “great importance” for Armenia in the matter of reliable and safe supply of energy resources, communications and telecommunications to the country, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday at the opening of a new bridge connecting the two neighbouring countries, an occasion he attended with his Georgian counterpart Irakli Garibashvili. 

  • PM hails successful “cooperation and friendship” with Armenia in opening “bridge of friendship”

In his remarks, Pashinyan said the trade turnover between Armenia and Georgia had been “significantly increased”. 

A serious growth has been observed in Armenian-Georgian trade and economic relations. The trade turnover between Armenia and Georgia has increased by 97 percent compared to the same period of the last year. This is a very important indicator, which is the result of continuous and consistent efforts from both sides”, the Armenian PM said. 

Speaking about future prospects, Pashinyan  stressed the importance of regular intergovernmental meetings to “further strengthen cooperation” in cyber security, environmental protection, employment, education, sport, as well as youth and border matters. 

  • Georgian, Armenian PMs discuss cooperation agenda

The Head of the Armenian Government also said the two countries could take steps to get involved in various international projects. 

Expressing readiness for a “deeper cooperation”, Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili said the new bridge “symbolised friendship and successful cooperation” between the two neighbours, noting the bridge also carried “strategic importance” as it was a part of the East-West International Highway. 

 

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 08/11/2022

Chalian Meline 
                                        Thursday, 
Jailed Former Top Prosecutor To Be Released On Bail
        • Naira Bulghadarian
Former Prosecutor-General of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepian (standing) during his 
trial in a Yerevan court, May 16, 2022.
A court in Yerevan on Thursday granted bail to former Prosecutor-General Aghvan 
Hovsepian who was arrested last September on a string of corruption charges 
denied by him.
Judge Mnatsakan Martirosian ordered that Hovsepian pay 100 million drams (about 
$245,000) before being released from custody pending trial.
Hovsepian’s lawyers had argued that their client suffered from a number of 
diseases, including severe diabetes, that they insisted were incompatible with 
detention.
Hovsepian, 69, served as Armenia’s chief prosecutor from 1998-1999 and 
2004-2013. He went on to become the first head of a newly created 
law-enforcement agency, the Investigative Committee, in 2014. He ran the 
committee until the 2018 “Velvet Revolution” that brought current Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian to power.
Hovsepian was one of Armenia’s most powerful state officials during his tenure.
The former top prosecutor now stands accused of bribery, money laundering and 
illegal entrepreneurial activity.
The Anti-Corruption Committee claims that he also misappropriated several 
properties while in office.
Hovsepian denied the charges at the start of his trial in early May. He said 
these charges are based on false testimony given by two individuals.
Reports On Next Round Of Turkey-Armenia Talks In September Not Confirmed In 
Yerevan Yet
        • Tatevik Sargsian
The Armenian and Turkish envoys for normalization talks, Ruben Rubinian and 
Serdar Kilic (combination photograph).
Official Yerevan does not yet confirm reports in the Turkish media quoting a 
senior diplomat in Ankara that the next round of talks between special 
representatives of Turkey and Armenia on normalization will take place in 
September.
Vahan Hunanian, a spokesman for Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, told RFE/RL’s 
Armenian Service on Thursday that “at the moment there is no agreement regarding 
the next meeting.”
He added that officials in Yerevan “in due time inform the public about 
scheduled meetings of the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey engaged 
in the normalization process.”
So far, Armenia’s Ruben Rubinian and Turkey’s Serdar Kilic have met four times 
since the beginning of this year in a fresh bid to achieve rapprochement between 
the two neighbors feuding over historical events, including the Ottoman-era 
genocide of Armenians denied by Turkey.
The first meeting between the two envoys took place in January in Moscow, 
Russia, with the three subsequent meetings taking place in Vienna, Austria.
The unnamed high-ranking Turkish diplomat told the Turkish media that Ankara 
insists that the next rounds of talks take place not in third countries, but in 
Armenia and Turkey, but for this, the diplomat said, a number of clear steps 
must be taken.
After all meetings that have taken place between Rubinian and Kilic the parties 
emphasized their readiness to go for a full settlement of relations without 
preconditions.
Following their latest round of talks on July 1 the two envoys announced 
agreements on enabling the crossing of the land border between Armenia and 
Turkey by third-country citizens as well as on commencing direct air cargo trade 
between the two countries.
The official who talked to the Turkish media also noted that the current process 
is different from the 2009 negotiations, but he said that “one can talk about 
taking clear steps like signing a document when there is a certain maturity in 
the process.” According to him, normalization should be carried forward with 
steps aimed at increasing confidence.
Moscow Rejects Criticism Of Russian Peacekeepers In Karabakh
        • Astghik Bedevian
Russian peacekeepers guard the area in the town of Lachin (file photo).
Russia does not consider “separate criticism” of its peacekeepers in 
Nagorno-Karabakh to be fair, a senior diplomat in Moscow said on Thursday.
During a news briefing Ivan Nechayev, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign 
Ministry, stressed that Russian peacekeepers in the region are engaged in 
efforts to stabilize the situation on the ground.
During last week’s weekly cabinet meeting in Yerevan, Armenian Prime Minister 
Nikol Pashinian strongly criticized the Russian peacekeeping operation in 
Nagorno-Karabakh following the most serious fighting along the line of contact 
that left at least two Armenian and one Azerbaijani soldiers dead.
Pashinian urged Russia to do more to prevent further ceasefire violations, 
charging that Baku has been stepping up such violations despite the presence of 
Russian peacekeeping troops in the region.
“In these circumstances, it is becoming imperative to adjust details of the 
[Russian] peacekeeping operation in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pashinian said. “We 
expect that any attempt to cross the line of contact will be stopped by the 
peacekeeping troops of the Russian Federation.”
In an apparent reaction to this criticism, Nechayev said that “along with 
intensive political contacts Russian peacekeepers also continue to be engaged in 
active work, taking necessary efforts for stabilization on the ground.”
“Both Baku and Yerevan have before emphasized the important role of the Russian 
peacekeeping contingent. We do not consider separate criticism of the 
peacekeepers to be fair,” the diplomat added.
Nechayev also announced that Moscow plans to organize high-level trilateral 
contacts by the end of August on different subjects concerning the settlement of 
Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.
The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the situation 
around the Lachin corridor should be resolved in accordance with the trilateral 
statement of November 9, 2020.
“Point 6 of the statement stipulates that the plan for the construction of a new 
route through the Lachin corridor, which will ensure a link between Karabakh and 
Armenia, should be determined with the agreement of the parties in the next 
three years, with the subsequent redeployment of Russian peacekeeping troops to 
maintain the security of the route,” he said.
The Armenian prime minister also insisted last week that the ceasefire agreement 
requires Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to work out before 2024 only a plan for 
the construction of a new Armenia-Karabakh road. He emphasized that no such plan 
had been drawn up yet.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, however, that the three sides did agree 
on the “route” of the new corridor early this year and accused Yerevan of 
dragging out construction work on its Armenian sections.
After the latest escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh the local ethnic Armenian 
authorities ordered the few remaining Armenian residents of villages situated 
along the current route of the Lachin corridor to leave their homes for good 
until August 25.
Incidentally, Azerbaijan announced on August 11 the completion of the 
construction of its section of the road bypassing Lachin. The Armenian side 
launched construction on its section of the road on August 1 and expects the 
work to be completed by spring. Until then, authorities say, people will have to 
fall back on unpaved roads for travel.
Tehran Reassures Yerevan Over Iran-Armenia Border
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (R) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
meet in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, September 17, 2021.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated his country’s opposition to any 
attempt to alter borders in the region as he held a phone call with Armenian 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian reported by Yerevan on Thursday.
The reassurance comes a week after a major escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh 
conflict zone in which at least two ethnic Armenian and one Azerbaijani soldiers 
were killed on August 3. Both parties blamed each other for the most serious 
fighting since March.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has also accused Armenia of showing ‘unconstructive 
approaches’ in terms of implementing the Russia-brokered ceasefire agreement 
that put an end to a deadly 44-day conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in the fall of 
2020.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, in particular, charged earlier 
this week that Armenia was dragging out the implementation of the point 
concerning the opening of road and railway links to connect Azerbaijan to its 
Nakhichevan exclave via Armenia’s southern Syunik province.
The ceasefire that stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh commits Armenia to 
opening rail and road links between Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave. 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly claimed that it calls for an 
exterritorial land corridor that would pass through Syunik, the sole Armenian 
province bordering Iran.
At least one of the routes of what Baku calls the ‘Zangezur corridor’, namely 
the railway, should stretch along the river Arax, which marks the border between 
Armenia and Iran.
Armenia publicly supports the idea of unblocking regional transport links, but 
rejects what it calls “the corridor logic” behind such efforts. Armenia insists 
that it must maintain sovereignty over the transport routes in its territory.
A statement issued by Pashinian’s press office today said that during their 
telephone conversation the leaders of Armenia and Iran discussed “issues related 
to regional developments and security challenges.”
“The prime minister of Armenia presented to the president of Iran details about 
the recent border incidents between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the context of 
establishing stability and peace in the region, Pashinian emphasized the 
importance of the full implementation of the trilateral agreements of November 
9, 2020, January 11 and November 26, 2021,” it said.
“Referring to the recent tense incidents in the South Caucasus, the president of 
Iran mentioned the statement made by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution 
Ayatollah Khamenei during the recent meetings with the presidents of Russia and 
Turkey that Iran is sensitive about its borders in the Caucasus region and will 
oppose any attempt to alter them,” the statement added.
Pashinian’s press office said that the parties also “exchanged ideas on 
bilateral ties and emphasized the importance of bringing them closer.”
“Pashinian expressed satisfaction with the development of Armenian-Iranian 
relations and noted that Armenia is ready to maximally promote the transit of 
goods between the two countries and to develop cooperation in the field of 
infrastructure in terms of roads, energy and other directions.
“The president of Iran described the relations between the two countries as 
historical and deep and emphasized the need to raise the level of sustainable 
Armenian-Iranian economic cooperation,” the statement said.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against attempts to block 
Armenia’s border with his country when he held separate meetings with Turkish 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran 
last month.
Under the 2020 ceasefire agreement, Russia, which protects Armenia’s borders 
with Iran and Turkey, is to oversee the security of the transport links between 
Azerbaijan and its western exclave passing through Armenian territory.
Images of Russian checkpoints set up along several roads in Syunik that appeared 
on the Internet earlier this week fueled speculations among Armenians about an 
imminent deal on the transport links. But Russia’s Federal Security Service said 
the stepped-up security measures were due to increased drug trafficking and 
other illegal cross-border activities in the area.
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Deadly clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh

Chalian Meline
Aug 3 2022
 3 August 2022

ByAni AvetisyanandIsmi Aghayev
The Lachin corridor. Photo: Ani Avetsiyan/OC Media.

One Azerbaijani and two Armenian soldiers are confirmed dead and at least 14 Armenians wounded after clashes broke out on Wednesday morning in Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to an official statement from the Nagorno-Karabakh Army, Azerbaijani troops employed mortars and unmanned aerial vehicles in an unprovoked attack. Azerbaijani media also released footage of a drone strike on an Armenian position.

In a statement late on Wednesday afternoon, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said they had conducted a retaliatory ‘revenge’ operation, accusing ‘illegal Armenian armed groups’ of violating the ceasefire. The ministry said they had taken control of several new positions in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result.

The Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh has so far remained silent, although the Nagorno-Karabakh Army said that ‘measures are being taken to stabilise the situation’ with the peacekeepers.

On Wednesday afternoon, Nagorno-Karabakh announced a partial mobilisation as unconfirmed reports of clashes continue.

In the morning, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence said that an 18-year-old soldier had been killed in the early hours of the morning near Lachin.

On Tuesday, the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh said that Azerbaijan had demanded that the Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh, be handed over to them in the ‘near future’.

The ceasefire agreement that brought an end to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War stipulates that the Lachin corridor fall under the control of Russian peacekeepers until a replacement road could be built, after which it would be handed over to Azerbaijan. 

However, construction of the new road, which Russian peacekeepers would take control of, has not yet begun.

Stepanakert reported that tensions remained high in several areas along the line of contact on Wednesday.

Tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh have been running high for several weeks, despite a renewed diplomatic push by the US and EU in ongoing peace talks.

On Monday evening, the Nagorno-Karabakh army reported that Azerbaijani forces attempted to cross the line of contact in the north and northwest of Nagorno-Karabakh and that one soldier had been wounded, a claim echoed by the Russian peacekeeping mission.

[Read more: Tensions flare in Nagorno-Karabakh]

The European Union expressed concern about the situation after the reported clashes on Monday, while US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried held phone conversations with the foreign ministers of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

Armenian Foreign Ministry also announced on Wednesday that in a meeting with the special representative of the acting head of the OSCE Andrzej Kasprzyk,, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.


Fwd: The California Courier Online, August 4, 2022

Chalian Meline

The California
Courier Online, August 4, 2022

 

1-         UN Official
Deletes His Tweet on Armenian

            Genocide,
After Pressure from Turkey

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         Baseball
Hall of Fame honors Tim Kurkjian with Career Excellence Award

3-         Paul
Chepikian Set to Appear in Upcoming Steven Spielberg Film

4-         ‘Armenia Without
Nikol’, Resistance Movement Marches On

5-         Armenia
Continues Fight Against COVID-19

************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

UN Official Deletes His Tweet on Armenian Genocide,
After Pressure from Turkey

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher, The California Courier

           
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

The Turkish government resorted to its customary bullying tactics last week to
force a high-ranking United Nations (UN) official to delete his tweet on the
Armenian Genocide.

On July 27, President of the United Nations General Assembly
Abdulla Shahid issued a tweet with four photos showing him placing a wreath at
the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan.
He wrote in his tweet: “Laid a wreath at the Memorial to the Victims of
Armenian Genocide. Special thanks to Museum-Institute Director Harutyun
Marutyan & Hasmik Martirosyan for a tour of the Museum.” Marutyan presented
to the visitor books on the Armenian Genocide and showed him the three
cross-stones dedicated to the memory of Armenians who were killed by Azerbaijan.

 The wreath placed by
the UN General Assembly President had white and blue flowers and was decorated
with a blue ribbon with “United Nations” written on it. In the other photos of
his tweet, he was seen observing a moment of silence at the Eternal Flame of
the Memorial, taking a tour of the Armenian
Genocide Museum,
and signing the Guest Book in which he wrote: “I am very moved by my visit to
this museum. I thank you for warmly receiving me as a part of my visit to Armenia.”

During his three-day visit to Armenia, the President of the
UN General Assembly met with various Armenian officials, including the
President of Armenia Vahagn Khachatryan, Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum
Matevosyan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Vice Chairman of the Parliament
Ruben Rubinyan, female diplomats of the Foreign Ministry, and spoke at the
graduation ceremony of the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic School.

Shortly after Shahid’s visit and tweet, the Turkish Foreign
Ministry issued an official statement condemning him for visiting the Armenian
Genocide Memorial and alleging that his trip “to Armenia has been exploited
with the purpose of exposing one-sided Armenian claims and it is in that
context that he paid a visit to the so-called genocide memorial.” The Turkish
Foreign Ministry added: “He would have been expected to act in a fair and
impartial manner, to be more careful and responsible in this regard.
Representatives acting on behalf of the UN authorized bodies must carry out
their duties in accordance with the UN legal instruments and relevant norms and
rules of international law, particularly the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide dated 1948. We condemn and reject attempts
to distort historical facts and international law through political
manipulation. Türkiye is of the opinion that the facts regarding the events of
1915 should be dealt with in a full, fair and honest framework.”

Shahid, who is also the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Maldives, immediately deleted the tweet
about his visit to the Armenian Genocide Memorial, succumbing to Turkish
pressures.

Whereas the Turkish government had succeeded in imposing its
will on the UN official, not a single Armenian official who met with the
President of the UN General Assembly bothered to question him why he deleted
his tweet, let alone criticize him.

Of course, nothing can excuse the submissive behavior of the
high-ranking UN official who caved in to the directive of a dictatorial regime,
contrary to the UN principles that he was sworn to uphold. Two sources
confirmed some of the actions of the Turkish government: The Passblue.com
website disclosed that Turkey
rescinded its invitation to Shahid to visit Ankara. The Turkish Superhaber.tv further
revealed that Turkey
withdrew Shahid’s invitation to attend the Ambassadors’ Conference to be held
in Ankara on
August 8-12. Turkey
probably used other behind-the-scenes measures to pressure Shahid.

It is highly offensive that Shahid, by agreeing to delete
his tweet, disrespected the Armenian Genocide which had been corroborated by
the UN itself. On August 29, 1985, the UN “Sub-Commission on Prevention of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities” adopted a report on genocide by a
vote of 15 in favor, 1 opposed, and 4 abstentions. The “Revised and Updated
Report on the Question of the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide” was prepared by British Special Rapporteur Benjamin Whitaker.
Paragraph 24 of that report stated: “The Nazi aberration has unfortunately not
been the only case of genocide in the twentieth century. Among other examples
which can be cited as qualifying are the German massacre of Hereros in 1904,
[and] the Ottoman massacre of Armenians in 1915-1916 ….” The report also
included an extensive bibliography on the Armenian Genocide. An earlier version
of that report, prepared by UN Special Rapporteur Nicodeme Ruhashyankiko of Rwanda, had
included in its paragraph 30 a reference to the Armenian Genocide which was
subsequently deleted after excessive pressure by the Turkish government. I know
these facts first-hand because I spent from 1978 to 1985 at the UN in Geneva as the
representative of a non-governmental organization on human rights, countering
the repeated Turkish attempts to delete the reference to the Armenian Genocide.

 The Armenian
government may not be aware of these facts. I suggest that the Armenian Foreign
Ministry file a strongly-worded complaint with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations to have the deleted tweet reinstated and apologize to the
Armenian nation.

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************
2-         Baseball Hall of Fame honors
Tim Kurkjian with Career Excellence Award 

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.—The love affair
that ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian has enjoyed for decades with the sport of baseball—and
everyone associated with it—reached its pinnacle on Saturday when he was
honored as this year’s recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.

“This has been the most overwhelming, most overpowering
experience of my life,” Kurkjian said during his speech.

In accepting the award, which is presented annually to a sportswriter
“for meritorious contributions to baseball writing,” Kurkjian takes his place
alongside the list of heroes, mentors and friends who have been previously
honored.

Baseball was the “primary language spoken” in the Kurkjian
household and has been a key thread in the fabric of his life, tracing back to
his baseball-loving father and two older brothers who played for Catholic University. A native of Bethesda,
Maryland, Kurkjian played baseball and
basketball at Walter
Johnson High
School — named after the Hall of Famer pitcher.
While there, he wrote for the school paper called “The Pitch.”

Kurkjian was honored during a private ceremony at the Alice
Busch Opera Theater at Glimmerglass Festival outside of Cooperstown.

Kurkjian, 65, has authored three books about baseball and
his experiences in it. His professional career began in 1979, when he joined
the Washington Star. By 1981, he was covering the Texas Rangers for the Dallas
Morning News, followed by a four-year stint covering the Orioles for the Baltimore Sun.

After seven-plus years with Sports Illustrated, Kurkjian
joined ESPN in 1998. Since then, he has worked as a columnist and become a
prominent part of ESPN’s broadcast coverage of baseball. He has been a fixture
at Baseball Tonight, contributed to SportsCenter and worked as a reporter and
analyst during game broadcasts. Kurkjian has twice been honored for his work in
television.

Kurkjian has transcended his long and a varied résumé simply
by becoming one of the most beloved figures in the baseball world and a person
who exudes a bonafide joy of the game. The son of a mathematician, Kurkjian has
long been known for his meticulous work habits.

Kurkjian has become as known for his relentless positivity
and generosity as for his skill in writing and broadcasting, not to mention an
encyclopedic knowledge of baseball, about which no tidbit was trivial in
Kurkjian’s eyes.

Kurkjian’s love affair with baseball is ongoing and it
reached an all-new level on Saturday, when Kurkjian earned a permanent place
among the immortals of the sport.

“Baseball is the greatest game, it is the best game of all
time,” Kurkjian said. “It is the hardest game in the world to play. It is a
beautiful game and the number of people I have met in this game over a number
of years who will be my friends for the rest of my life.”

************************************************************************************************************************************************
3-         Paul Chepikian Set to Appear in
Upcoming Steven Spielberg Film

(Armenianfilmsociety.com)—Paul Chepikian is set
to appear in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film, The Fabelmans.

“It’s official, I am now listed on IMDB as a cast
member on the latest Steven Spielberg movie, The Fabelmans. I play the owner of
the Pinnacle Peak Restaurant. It will be released on November 25th, 2022. Thank
you to my agents, Terry Soil Mandel and Jan Rosenthal, from Abstract Talent.
And as always, to my Angel, Terry Mason,” said Chepikian in a Facebook
post on July 29.

The film has completed production and is scheduled for a
limited theatrical release in the United States on November 11,
before expanding wide on November 23.

The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical film and is a
portrait of the formative years of Steven Spielberg, before he became a
celebrated director. The film stars Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano,
and Gabriel LaBelle.

Chepikian says he thrives on the creative process. Chepikian
is credited in the film as “Pinnacle Peak Owner.”

Pinnacle Peak Patio Steakhouse was a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona,
where Steven Spielbeg shot his first film, The Last Gunfight, at the age of 11.
The young Steven Spielberg fulfilled his request for the photography merit
badge by filming the nine-minute film. The director and his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona
in 1957, where Steven Spielberg grew up. The restaurant closed in 2015.

Paul Chepikian is a Greek-Armenian born in Jidda, Saudi Arabia.
He lived in Cairo, Egypt
and Beirut, Lebanon
before moving to New Jersey
in 1963 when he was 8 years old. He speaking Armenian, Greek, Arabic, Turkish,
and French

He spent twelve years with the Harvey Lembeck Professional
Comedy Workshop honing his comedic and improvisational skills.

In 1992, Deep Dish TV, a show Chepikian co-produced,
co-wrote and acted in was nominated for a Cable Ace Award as Best Comedy
Special on the ShowTime Network. **********************************************************************************************************************************************
4-         ‘Armenia Without Nikol’, Resistance
Movement Marches On

YEREVAN—On  July 29, the rally of “Resistance” movement
marched on, starting once again in Yerevan’s
France Square.

“This struggle is not political, this is not for someone,
this is a struggle for the homeland, and victory is very close. Those who
gossip about this struggle will not be able to look their children in the eyes
tomorrow, our path is straight, victory is near,” said Narek Mantashyan, who
spent 7 months in a detention center, and wished freedom to the other political
prisoners who remain in detention.

During the rally, it was announced that three young people
affiliated with the “Resistance” movement, who were arrested in the case of
allegedly beating the “grandfathers” of Gyumri, were released on bail. Taron
Manukyan and Gor Sargsyan will continue to remain in custody.

“We came out to fight not only for our security, to remain
Armenian, to protect our homeland, but also to live well in our homeland. This
government of the “Apikars” not only surrenders our homeland, but also leads to
Turkification, it does everything to make the Armenian person live worse every
day in his/her homeland, because this government has no national goal, no
national dream. Their dream is only to keep their seats,” saod Tadevos
Avetisyan, member of the National Assembly from the “Armenia” faction, in his speech

“The EU ambassador to Armenia
says that there are supposedly no political prisoners in Armenia. It is
a statement detached from reality and supporting today’s authorities,” stated
Aram Vardevanyan, another member of the National Assembly from the “Armenia”
faction.

According to him, the leaders of the day will not apply
amnesty, because they spread widespread fear in order to cling to their seats.

Hayk Mamijanyan, a member of the National Assembly from the
“I havehonor” (Pativ Unem) faction, said in his speech that “the document being
developed between the EU and Azerbaijan does not say anything about Armenian
prisoners of war, there is not even a word that they are kept in inhumane
conditions in Azerbaijan.”

According to him, even the RA Foreign Ministry does not
mention the status of Artsakh and the right of self-determination of nations in
its official messages.

“There is no state today. All structures have been usurped
by the traitor Nikol and his henchmen,” said Ishkhan Saghateyan, the
representative of the ARF Supreme Body of Armenia.

He also mentioned that the opposition had set before it the
task of removing the current authorities in a short time, but, unfortunately, Armenia still
continues to be led by Nikol Pashinyan.

“But if the struggle is prolonged, it should not be
depressed, but rather we need to record the gaps, solve the problems and move
forward. We should make the struggle our daily routine. We must reorganize,
mobilize our forces and go after victory. We are guided by that principle,”
Saghatelyan said.

He emphasized that if the opposition participates in the
parliament, it will only be with the agenda formed by the people; the removal
of the current Prime Minister of Armenia, to fight against the threats facing Armenia and
Artsakh.

“The majority group in the National Assembly cannot drag us
into its anti-patriotic and anti-national conspiracy by blackmailing us to
deprive us of mandates. The CP backpacks (parliament members from Pashinyan’s
party) will see the back of their own heads, but they will not see us in the
parliament participating in their fake agenda. Unfortunately, the Armenian
people no longer have a platform for united _expression_ other than the street
and this square. Our street struggle at this moment has no alternative,” said
Saghatelyan.

According to Saghatelyan, the government still continues to
carry out political persecutions.

“Many of our comrades in struggle are currently in prison as
political prisoners. But they are much freer than those who gave the order to
detain our boys,” said Saghatelyan.

“Unity, Struggle, Victory” chanted the participants of the
rally.

Then the march of the “Resistance” movement started and the
participants walked through the central streets of Yerevan,
returning to the “France”
square where the rally ended. Touching upon the upcoming activities of the
movement, Saghatelyan stated that there will be regional visits in August.
According to him, the regional councils have already been formed.

A pan-Armenian resistance forum is planned for the middle of
August, to which well-known political figures and intellectuals from Armenia,
Artsakh, Diaspora will be invited. According to Saghatelyan, a rally will be
held in France Square
on September 2 on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Artsakh.
On the same day, rallies and events are also planned in Artsakh.. ***********************************************************************************************************************************************

5-         Armenia Continues Fight Against
COVID-19

More than 2.2 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered
in Armenia
since commencing the vaccination program a year ago, authorities said on July
25. Armenia
has recorded 424,400 coronavirus cases. Armenia has recorded 8,629 deaths;
for the sixth week, no new deaths were reported. There are 3,110 active cases;
412,661 have recovered.

 

***************************************************************************************************************************

************************************************************************************************************************************************

California Courier Online provides readers of the Armenian News News Service with a
few of the articles in this week’s issue of The California Courier. Letters to
the editor are encouraged through our e-mail address, .
Letters are published with the author’s name and location; authors are required
to disclose their identity to the editorial staff (name, address, and/or
telephone numbers for verification purposes).
California Courier subscribers can change or modify mailing addresses by
emailing .

Armenian and Georgian airlines jointly ordered three Boeing 737-800BCFs

Chalian Meline


Armenia’s Armenia airline and its partner Georgian Airlines from Georgia, have placed an order for three Boeing 737-800BSFs (Boeing Converted Freighters) as part of the group’s plan to add more dedicated cargo airplanes to its operations in the Caucasus region.

The deal, signed at Farnborough International last week, includes 737-800 modifications to be done at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company (GAMECO) and at Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. (STAECO) in China.

The first 737-800BCF on order will be delivered next year, with deliveries continuing into 2024. The converted freighters will be operated by Georgian Airlines.

“We are thrilled to bring more much-needed air cargo capacity to the region with the addition of three 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters,” said Tamaz Gaiashvili, President of Georgian Airlines Group. “The 737-800BCF has the payload, range and capability to carry both e-commerce and general cargo.”

Cargo carrier Georgian Airlines (IATA: GH) was established during COVID-19 crisis in 2020 by Tamaz Gaiashvili, co-owner of the troubled passenger carrier Georgian Airways (IATA: A9). It commenced operations in April 2021. The operating range of Tbilisi–headquartered airline includes air cargo transportation by both charter and regular flights across Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central, Eastern and Southern Asia. Currently Georgian Airlines operates one 737-800BCF and one 737-800SF, predominantly in the interests of Silk Way West Airlines of Azerbaijan. The carrier is part of Georgian Airlines Group, which also includes Armenia airline.

Established in December 2015, Yerevan-headquartered Armenia airline (код IATA: RM) has launched operations since April 2016.

http://www.rusaviainsider.com/armenian-and-georgian-airlines-jointly-ordered-three-boeing-737-800bcfs/

Judge presiding over ZCMC case under pressure – Pastinfo

Chalian Meline
Panorama
Armenia –

Judge Anahit Tumanyan, who is presiding over the Zangezur Mining vs. Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) case, is facing pressure, Pastinfo reports, citing its sources.

“She is not only threatened with possible punitive measures, but also being blackmailed. The female judge is threatened with the disclosure of information concerning her personal life as well as the release of a video recording, which could also affect her family relationships,” the media outlet says.

Former Russian Health Minister Mikhail Zurabov, who owns 12.5% of the ZCMC shares, sued the mining giant, asking the court to invalidate the sale of its 60% shares to Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko’s GeoProMining Gold.

On September 30, 2021, Industrial Company JSC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trotsenko’s GeoProMining, mysteriously acquired 60% of the ZCMC shares and promptly donated a quarter of that stake to the Armenian government. The granted 25% of the shares make up 15% of the ZCMC equity. Trotsenko’s company acquired the shares immediately after they were unfrozen by an Armenian court.

The judge was expected to issue a ruling in the case last week, but it was postponed.

Pastinfo says the government experts studied the court case and concluded that the Zangezur Mining’s claim was well grounded, while any meddling in the case would have negative consequences both on the investment environment and in international courts, where the government is highly likely to lose huge sums. Nevertheless, Roman Trotsenko’s lobbyists seem to have won the debates, and it was decided to force the court to dismiss the lawsuit at all costs.”

“To our knowledge, the judge has been warned that there is an intimate video the release of which is not in her family’s interests. Instead, she has been assured that if she rules in favor of the government, they will forget not only about the tape, but also will help her promote and make it to the Supreme Judicial Council,” Pastinfo says.

“As reported earlier, a top American official urged Nikol Pashinyan “not to flirt” with oligarch Roman Trotsenko, who is among those sanctioned by the U.S. But in recent years, Trotsenko and a number of senior Armenian officials have been linked by various ties, the severance of which seems to frighten officials, and they are trying to safeguard the 2021 corrupt deal at all costs. Whereas, the government, according to our diplomatic sources, has been warned that a number of American and European institutions are monitoring Trotsenko’s move to take over Armenia’s mining sector.

“The much-debated court case is in fact about “screwing” the minority shareholder of the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine and taking away their business. And the outcome of the case is a benchmark, as foreign experts say, which would make it clear to European and American investors whether a number of vital rights of minority shareholders are protected or not.

“With regard to the other minority ZCMC shareholder, the government, which is represented by the Armenian National Interests Fund, as we have already reported, its participation in the management of the combine is an imitation. At least, we have not received any evidence to the contrary from ANIF.

“Actually, in the light of the above said, “Don’t flirt with Trotsenko” has much deeper meaning, while “flirting” may have much worse and far-reaching consequences, as, under Nikol Pashinyan’s rule, the attitude of the oligarch of Russian origin towards a minority shareholder of the ZCMC and ignoring their legal interests, from the perspective of foreign investors, in particular American and European, is of fundamental importance in terms of ensuring their own business interests in the Republic of Armenia and that’s where the Shoe pinches,” the media outlet wrote.

Sargis, who lost both legs in Artsakh war, insists on moving forward

Chalian Meline
Panorama
Armenia –

Author Hasmik Hakobyan

War changes people, their lives and dreams. Sargis Harutyunyan, a soldier from Artsakh, lost his friends and both legs during the 44-day war in 2020, but when he was in hospital he made up his mind never to fall into despair, fight on and move forward.

Sargis was born in the village of Aknaberd in Artsakh’s Shahumyan region, which is about 70 km away from Karvachar. After graduating from school, he entered the Stepanakert Vocational School. After two years of study, Sargis was drafted into the army.

He had already been serving for 1.5 years when the war broke out. He served in Martakert and was on combat duty at the military position which Hero of Artsakh Robert Abajyan defended. On September 27, he was on duty when an alarm was sounded. Sarkis and his fellow soldiers thought it was just another alarm, but shortly afterwards the Azerbaijani military started shelling their military unit.

At first the troops were moved to shelters, two or three hours later they left them and headed to the combat positions. Sargis was at the Martakert positions until 22 October, then his unit was moved to Martuni, and later to Chartar, remaining there until the end of the war.

On October 28, Sargis fought his last battle. “We suffered a lot of casualties, but we refused to leave our post until the end,” he says.

After suffering an injury, he was taken to the Martuni hospital, but on the way the ambulance overturned and he was taken to the hospital by a second car with great difficulty. The young man remembers that day in visceral detail as he was conscious. He lost it only when the hospital doctors said he had been saved. He opened his eyes already in the Stepanakert hospital and two days later he was transported to Yerevan. He stayed in Heratsi Hospital Complex until November 21, where he underwent three surgeries.

Sargis tries not to recall the hellish days of war, the pain stifles him when he recalls his dead friends… He tries to look forward and fight on.

Getting acquainted with Lieutenant-Colonel Sargis Stepanyan, head of the Federation of Disabled Athletes of Armenia and multiple European and world champion in armwrestling, was fateful for the Artsakh man. Thanks to his support, Sargis not only overcame his mental health problems, but also after getting prosthetic legs he started going to the gym founded by Sargis Stepanyan, fully recovered and then began to participate in competitions.

“The very first meeting with Sargis Stepanyan changed a lot in my life. Thanks to him I changed my outlook on life. After the prosthetics I started to recover and try my hand at armwrestling. Not only me, but also many of my friends followed his example. I do not know what would have happened if I had not met him, whether I would have been able to overcome my mental issues so quickly. I had never taken up sports before the war, but now I can’t imagine my life without it,” Sargis Harutyunyan tells Panorama.am.

He took part in armwrestling championships organized by the Federation of Disabled Athletes of Armenia, earning the champion’s title. Then he competed at the world and European championships.

Sargis Harutyunyan won gold at the 24th European & Para Armwrestling Championships in Bucharest in May, defeating his Turkish rival.

The next competition is scheduled to be held in September in Turkey. “We should definitely win. I defeated the Turk, we have to make sure we win in Turkey as well,” Sargis says.

The Artsakh athlete is now thinking about achieving greater success in the sport. He does not exclude that he will work as a coach in the future, saying he sees his future in Artsakh.

Sargis got married a few months ago. His spouse, Tatev, is also from Artsakh. Together they try to support each other and overcome difficulties they face. According to him, during the war he lost his fellow soldiers, friends of childhood and youth. His wife’s brother was also among the war victims. Sargis and Tatev dream of living and raising their children in Artsakh. Sargis’ parents are building a house for their son in Aknaberd.

“I only feel good in Artsakh and I must go back. My children must live in Artsakh. The presence of the enemy there is a matter of time. The enemy has no place in our land, now it is in Artsakh, but it won’t stay there in the future,” Sargis adds.