Author: Christine Harutyunian

Circle of Friendship with Artsakh established in Cyprus

Christine Harutyunian

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 16:20, 7 March, 2020

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. On March 6, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh Armine Alexanyan, who is on a working visit in the Republic of Cyprus, participated in an event dedicated to Artsakh, which was organized at the initiative of the Armenian National Committee of Cyprus, the Artsakh foreign ministry told Armenpress.

The establishment of a Circle of Friendship with Artsakh in Cyprus, which comprises of members of the Cypriot parliament, City Council, distinguished political figures and scientists was announced at the event.

In her speech, the Deputy Foreign Minister presented the priorities of the foreign policy of Artsakh and the realities in the Republic. She also briefed on the steps towards the establishment of foreign relations at different levels, stressing the importance of the format of parliamentary diplomacy in expanding the involvement of Artsakh in international processes.

Armine Aleksanyan underlined the role of the Groups and Circles of Friendship with Artsakh operating in a number of countries in raising awareness of Artsakh, as well as in creating favorable conditions for the establishment of bilateral relations in various fields.

In this context, the Deputy Foreign Minister stressed the importance of establishment of the Circle of Friendship with Artsakh in Cyprus, which will allow to focus the efforts on strengthening and developing the cooperation between the two countries at the institutional level, as well as contributing to raising awareness of Artsakh and promoting the interests of the Republic in Cyprus. շ

Armine Alexanyan highlighted the importance of the active involvement of the Diaspora in the implementation of various development programs in Artsakh, as well as its efficient contribution to the establishment and expansion of foreign relations of the Republic.

Earlier in the day, the Deputy Foreign Minister, accompanied by head of European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy Kaspar Karampetian and the representatives of Armenian National Committee of Cyprus, met with Archbishop Khoren Doghramadjian, the General Catholicosal Vicar of the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus of the Armenian Apostolic Church as well as the leaders and representatives of Cypriot-Armenian organizations. They mutually stressed the importance of holding meetings in such format as a good opportunity to have discussion on issues of Pan-Armenian significance.

Deputy Foreign Minister also visited the Nareg Armenian School and met the leadership and the students of the school.

Artsakh: Azerbaijan continues its policy of inciting hatred against Armenians

Christine Harutyunian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 28 2020

The Artsakh Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the 32nd anniversary of the anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait.

Below is the full text of the statement.

“32 years ago, on February 27-29, 1988, the authorities of the Azerbaijani SSR perpetrated the massacre and forced deportation of the Armenian population in the city of Sumgait, accompanied by atrocities committed with unprecedented cruelty. The three-day mass beatings, killings and violent acts were the response of the authorities of Baku to the peaceful and legitimate demands of the Armenians of Artsakh (Karabakh) to realize their inalienable right to self-determination.

There is ample evidence that the massacres of Armenians in Sumgait were thoroughly prepared and planned by the Azerbaijani authorities. Speaking at the rallies held on the eve of the massacres, high-ranking representatives of the city authorities called on the crowd to punish the Armenians and demanded “to kill and to deport them from Sumgait and from entire Azerbaijan”. Almost every speech ended with the chanting of “Death to Armenians!”. Amid the obvious inaction of the authorities and law enforcement bodies, as well as guided by the latters, hundreds of Azerbaijanis in Sumgait, inspired by the calls for hatred and violence against Armenians, started unimpeded attacks on the apartments of the Armenians living in Sumgait, having the lists of addresses at their disposal.

The impunity of the real organizers and perpetrators of the crimes against humanity committed in Sumgait created a fertile ground for the ethnic cleansing of Armenians throughout the Azerbaijani SSR in the subsequent years – in Kirovabad, Baku and a number of other Armenian-populated cities. Thousands of Armenians became victims of this policy, and hundreds of thousands became refugees.

Currently, the Azerbaijani authorities, unfortunately, continue their policy of inciting hatred and xenophobia against the Armenians, heroizing and glorifying the Azerbaijani officer who brutally killed an Armenian officer in Hungary in 2004. Another manifestation of such a policy became the rewarding of the Azerbaijani officer by the President of Azerbaijan for beheading a serviceman of the Artsakh Defense Army during the April war of 2016 unleashed against the Republic of Artsakh, as well as the gross violations of the norms of humanitarian law and the war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces.

We bow to the memory of the innocent victims of the Sumgait crime. The international community should condemn and give a clear and unequivocal assessment to the genocidal actions committed by the Azerbaijani authorities against the peaceful Armenian population, which will not only prevent the repetition of such atrocities in the future, but will also help to heal the situation in Azerbaijan.”

Armenian FM and CSTO Secretary General discussed cooperation within framework of military alliance

Christine Harutyunian
Arminfo, Armenia
Feb 27 2020

ArmInfo. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, at a meeting with OSCE Secretary General Stanislav Zas, expressed hope that the newly appointed  Secretary General will contribute to the realization of the universal  goals of the Organization.

According to the press service of the RA MFA, the interlocutors  discussed in detail the interaction within the CSTO.

Pointing to the important role of Armenia in the security system  within the framework of the CSTO, Mnatsakanyan noted that close  cooperation between the participating countries plays an important  role in improving the effectiveness of the structure, as well as  jointly solving the challenges facing the Organization.

The parties discussed a wide range of issues on the regional and  international agenda.  During the visit, Zas also visited the  Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex for the victims of the Armenian  Genocide and paid tribute to the memory of the holy martyrs. 

Turkish dictator Erdogan not welcome in Australia: joint justice initiative

Christine Harutyunian
Aravot, Armenia
Feb 27 2020

                                                       
February 27,2020 16:32 19

CANBERRA: The Joint Justice Initiative – consisting of the peak advocacy bodies of the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities – have called on the Australian Government to reject a proposed visit by Turkey’s dictator, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Armenian, Assyrian and Greek communities – who are made up of descendants of survivors of the Ottoman Turkish-committed Genocide and together make up 750,000 of Australia’s population – recently launched their Joint Justice Initiative with the goal of advocating:

“…against any attempt by the Turkish Government to use the sacred ANZAC graves in Gallipoli (and access by Australians to those graves and memorials) as ‘hostages’ or bargaining chips in coercing or persuading the Australian Government in being complicit in the Turkish State’s denial campaign with respect to the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides”.

They say the reported trip by President Erdogan in and around ANZAC Day is “disrespectful to the legacy of our Anzacs and unacceptable to our communities”.

“It was only last year, following the Christchurch terrorist attack, that Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to return Australians and New Zealanders traveling to Gallipoli for ANZAC Day Commemorations ‘in their coffins like their grandfathers’,” said Armenian National Committee of Australia Executive Director, Haig Kayserian.

“Now we are hearing this friend of ISIS, who has created a state of terror by arresting, jailing or dismissing more opposition leaders, minority rights advocates, journalists and academics than any world leader, might be a guest of the Australian Government.”

The Australian Hellenic Council’s George Vellis said Greeks, and especially, Cypriots feel the wrath of Erdogan’s expansionist policies on a daily basis.

“We cannot stand idly by as our representatives continue to offer legitimacy to genocide-denying despotic dictators, particularly one leading a regime that bears no resonance to the values we uphold as Australians,” Vellis said.

“The Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities, who have suffered from Erdogan’s continued denial of Ottoman Turkey’s Genocide committed against our ancestors, will continue to demand higher diplomatic standards by Canberra, and pledge to join with several other community groups in protest should this visit eventuate,” Kayserian added on behalf of the Joint Justice Initiative.

On 25th February 2020, over 100 Federal Australian parliamentarians, diplomats, departmental officials, political staffers, academics, media and community leaders were treated to cultural performances, food, wine and brandy, as well as the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, which affirmed that the signatory public affairs representatives of the three communities were jointly committed to seeing Australia recognise the Turkish-committed Genocide against the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian citizens of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Asbarez: AUA Welcomes Two New Trustees

Christine Harutyunian

Lena Sarkissian and Varant Demirjian

The American University of Armenia is pleased to announce the appointment of two new trustees of the AUA Corporation: Lena Sarkissian and Yervant Demirjian. Both appointees, who are also members of the 100 Pillars of AUA, bring a wealth of experience in the private and non-profit sector and will greatly contribute to advancing AUA’s mission.

Lena Sarkissian has over 20 years of experience as a Board of Director, in the non-profit sector. A resident of Toronto, Ontario, Sarkissian currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Armenian General Benevolent Union and works in Asset Management for Byron Hill Holdings. She received her graduate degree in speech and language pathology and an undergraduate degree in linguistics and French from the University of California, Los Angeles.

“AUA has played a pivotal role in the higher education ecosystem of Armenia by introducing a new set of standards and approaches to education. The exponential complexity of the globalized world and pace of change demand that institutions continuously realign to meet the needs of the community they serve. A challenge for AUA is that it now has to prepare students for many of the jobs of the future that have not yet been created. Thus, the continuous reassessment of its pedagogy and infrastructure is necessary – all to further ignite the passion and creativity of its students and staff. Coincidentally also, with its focus on cultivating global networks, AUA will be able to disseminate the creative capacity of its community. It can thus aim to become a generator and a contributor of ideas and products on the global scene.”

Yervant Demirjian is a private real estate investor in Los Angeles, California, a current trustee and vice treasurer for AGBU, and a trustee of the AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School in Los Angeles. Demirjian has 25 years of experience in banking. He has also served as a director of the AGBU Manoogian Demirjian School. Demirjian received his MBA and undergraduate degrees from Pepperdine University.

“I always believed that quality education would help us improve the destiny of our little yet noble community. Accepting the invitation to serve on the board of the AUA was part and parcel of my enthusiasm in giving our youth the tools to enhance their prospects in life.”

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values. For more information about AUA and its donor opportunities, please visit the website.

Azerbaijan’s positions deny rights of people of Artsakh – FM Mnatsakanyan meets with Toivo Klaar

Christine Harutyunian

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 19:48,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met on February 18 with Toivo Klaar, the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia.

The interlocutors referred to Nagono Karabakh peace process and the recent meetings over it. The sides highlighted the real steps towards the implementation of the agreement of preparing the peoples for peace. In this context FM Mnatsakanyan particularly highlighted the public peace messages by the leaders of the countries and noted that the Azerbaijani side continues to express maximalist positions denying the rights of the people of Artsakh, which hamper the progress of the peace process.

The sides also exchanged views on the multi-dimensional agenda of Armenia-EU partnership, as well as referred to urgent international and regional issues.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan

Armenpress: Military Police commence unannounced inspections in armed forces, reveal violations

Christine Harutyunian

Military Police commence unannounced inspections in armed forces, reveal violations

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 10:15, 7 February, 2020

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense Davit Tonoyan has ordered the Military Police to commence unannounced inspections at numerous military bases of the Armenian Armed Forces, the Defense Ministry said in a news release.

The actions aimed at inspecting the state of military discipline, particularly the participation of servicemen in the combat readiness trainings.

The Defense Ministry said the military police have revealed a number of violations.

A group of servicemen who were absent from the trainings have been detained by military police. Moreover, commanders who failed in supervising the military discipline will be under internal investigation.

The Defense Ministry said that the surprise inspections will be continuous.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan




Sports: Roma lost despite Mkhitaryan’s goal

Christine Harutyunian
Panorama, Armenia
Feb 8 2020

Roma’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League suffered another blow on Friday as a 3-2 home defeat by Bologna extended the capital club’s winless streak to three Serie A games.

Riccardo Orsolini took advantage of an error by English defender Chris Smalling to grab a 16th-minute advantage for Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico, before Stefano Denswil’s dreadful own goal drew Roma level just six minutes later. But Gambian international Musa Barrow scored excellent individual efforts either side of half-time to send Bologna on their way to victory.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s header gave the home side hope with 18 minutes remaining, but Bryan Cristante was sent off shortly afterwards to end any thoughts of a comeback.

Bologna climbed to sixth in the table after their third straight win, one point above Cagliari and Parma in the race to qualify for the Europa League.

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Syrian-Armenian soldier killed in Idlib during firefight with terrorists

Christine Harutyunian

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 09:44, 6 February, 2020

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. A Syrian-Armenian soldier of the Syrian military has been killed during a firefight with terrorists near Idlib, Gandzasar weekly reports.

According to Gandzasar, the 32 year old ethnic Armenian soldier – Jean Gatanjean – was killed on February 5.

The funeral of Gatanjean will take place on February 6 at the Church of the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic church in Aleppo.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan