March: 13, 2026
At the moment, simultaneous protest actions are taking place in different parts of Yerevan with the demand “Freedom to Samvel Karapetyan, Freedom to Armenia”.
At the moment, protests are taking place in front of the government, prosecutor’s office and investigative committee buildings.
Let me remind you that today the anti-corruption court is examining the petition to extend the illegal detention of Samvel Karapetyan. And since yesterday, the supporters of Samvel Karapetyan and the members of the “Strong Armenia” party announced in a flash mob that today from 15:30 they will be at the court at 3/9 of Tbilisi Highway, Yerevan.
[ SEE ALL THE VIDEOS IN THIS ARTICLE]
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“A man went to the European Parliament and said that the bishops are agents o
To those who still doubt that the war and the post-war disasters – the depopulation of Nagorno-Karabakh, the occupation of Armenia’s sovereign territories, and the compliant acceptance of all of Azerbaijan’s demands – could have been avoided if the person leading the state had any understanding of diplomacy, foreign policy, and the value of words, I simply recommend listening to just one part of Pashinyan’s speech,” former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan wrote, commenting on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s speech at the European Parliament.
“A man went to the podium of the European Parliament and declared that the bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church had violated certain spiritual rules known only to him, that they are agents of influence, and that they seek to undermine his ‘peace.’
If you cannot imagine what an absurd – at best ridiculous, and at worst contemptible – impression such remarks may have made on those sitting in the hall, I would struggle to describe it in words.
And if you can imagine it, then it is not difficult to understand that since 2018, during the negotiations over Artsakh, before the war, during the war, and in the post-war period up to the present day, the country has been led by a person who has failed to grasp what should be said and what should not be said; what is expected of a statesman; what no one is interested in hearing; and what ultimately reveals weakness, ignorance, fear, and sheer incompetence.
The answer to why Armenia has found itself in its current state lies precisely in this simple reality,” he wrote.
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Pashinyan says Brussels–Tbilisi rift is ‘biggest problem’ for Armenia’s EU bi
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said the ‘biggest problem’ on Armenia’s path towards EU integration is the ‘frozen state of political dialogue between the EU and Georgia’.
Pashinyan had made the remarks during a speech at the EU Parliament.
Referencing the law adopted by the Armenian Parliament in March 2025 on launching the process of Armenia’s accession to the EU, Pashinyan said that this development came after Georgia received its own candidate status in December 2023.
‘This made Armenia’s EU membership prospect tangible, and it is our expectation and request that the EU–Georgia constructive process should develop. This is important for Armenia, just as important as for Georgia’.
Pashinyan’s comments on Wednesday sparked controversy, with some suggesting that he made the remarks at the request of the ruling Georgian Dream party in Tbilisi, particularly as he had visited the Georgian capital earlier in March and met with the Georgian leadership prior to his visit to Strasbourg.
Georgia’s authorities rushed to accuse the EU of halting the EU accession process following remarks by Pashinyan, despite having announced in December 2024 that they themselves were ‘temporarily suspending’ Georgia’s EU integration efforts.
‘Armenia’s prime minister delicately hinted to Eurobureaucracy that the unfair attitude and various types of attacks directed at Georgia should be reconsidered’, Tornike Cheishvili, the Deputy Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, told the Georgian pro-government media outlet Imedi.
He further accused the EU of ‘unilaterally’ suspending political dialogue with Georgia in 2024.
On Thursday, during a press briefing, Pashinyan rejected speculations that Georgian authorities had requested that he raise the issue in the West.
‘There was no request or appeal from the Georgian side, but on the other hand, we have shared agendas, and we are working around those agendas. I voiced my concern from the podium of the European Parliament because we are genuinely concerned about the situation that exists in relations between the EU and Georgia, and it worries us’, Pashinyan said.
Prayer for ‘wisdom’ in Iran war
Pashinyan also touched on the war in Iran and the consequent developments in the Middle East, highlighting Armenia’s good relations with almost all sides involved in the conflict.
Pashinyan called Iran Armenia’s ‘good friend, our thousand-year-old neighbour’, citing the developing relations with the US, and referred to the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, and Syria as Armenia’s ‘good partners’.
Pashinyan noted that his government was ‘pained’ by the ongoing war; however, he added that Armenia could have no significant impact in the conflict.
‘Against the backdrop of such an international crisis of such magnitude, we are a small, modest state, and we can only pray for the repose of the souls of all the victims and for the wisdom of our partner leaders to find diplomatic solutions as soon as possible’.
Route to connect Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan ahead of TRIPP
During his speech, Pashinyan praised the achievements of the peace process with Azerbaijan, the turning point of which was the August 2025 Washington Summit, which saw the initialling of a peace treaty as well as an agreement to establish the Trump Route (TRIPP), intended to connect Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan through Armenia.
Pashinyan noted that for eight months ‘complete peace has been established on the Armenia–Azerbaijan border’, and said that since the summit, cargo trains had arrived in Armenia through Azerbaijan.
Pashinyan added that Armenia had in turn announced its readiness ‘to ensure transit’ from Azerbaijan to Turkey and vice versa, though neither Ankara nor Baku have accepted his country’s offer.
‘I assume that this is because they think that such a solution might delay the implementation of the Trump Route project’, Pashinyan said, rejecting such concerns by saying Armenia had ‘no reason’ to delay its implementation.
He also presented a new proposal to provide a road connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan using Armenia’s existing infrastructure.
‘This proposal of ours is not intended to delay, disrupt, or forget the Washington agreements in any way, and I say this officially. We are making these proposals because we ourselves, as I mentioned above, are using the Azerbaijani railway in a slightly alternative way’, Pashinyan said.
Azerbaijan uses Iranian territory to reach Nakhchivan. However, a recent drone strike on Nakhchivan, which Azerbaijan claims came from Iran, led to the temporary closure of transport links between the two countries, with speculation emerging in Armenia that it could serve as an alternative route.
Church leads ‘war party’ in Armenia
From the podium, Pashinyan also addressed the ongoing confrontation between his government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, which has escalated since May 2025, accusing the Church of leading a ‘war party’ in Armenia.
‘The reality is that some clergymen, who cynically violated all the rules of spiritual good conduct, thus making themselves vulnerable to foreign special services […] have assumed the leadership of the war party in Armenia, consolidating around them the former leaders of Armenia, some forces associated with them, some pro-Russian and pro-Belarusian oligarchs, and are trying to sacrifice Armenia’s independence to the interests of third countries’, Pashinyan claimed.
He further vowed not to allow ‘a new conflict’ in Armenia and said that in the parliamentary election on 7 June, ‘our democracy must make peace irreversible, and then, with peace, democracy will become irreversible’.
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Armenia signs arms contract with France amid boost in military ties
France signed commitments to sell precision rifles to Armenia and train Armenian military officers, their defence ministers said Friday. The move comes as Yerevan seeks to reduce its dependence on Moscow.
Armenia signed a contract with French arms manufacturer PGM to buy the guns, its defence minister Suren Papikian told a news conference in Yerevan alongside his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu.
Armenia has been looking to bolster its defences in recent years as fighting has broken out with neighbouring Azerbaijan.
"Armenia has adopted the idea of modernising the army, we are going to use our own means and the help of partner states," Papikian said.
"It's about being able to use all the tools of peace to defend our borders."
They did not disclose the value of the deal.
The countries also signed an agreement for France to train five Armenian soldiers at its Saint Cyr Coetquidan military academy and offered also to help train non-commissioned officers.
Lecornu confirmed that France would deploy a military adviser specialising in ground-based air defence systems to help Armenia defend itself against "possible strikes by potential aggressors" against civilians.
Armenia "is turning to partners who really provide security," Lecornu said, in response to a question about frayed relations between Yerevan and Moscow - its historic ally.
Lecornu travelled to Yerevan on Thursday evening with members of parliament and defence industry representatives.
- France ups military ties with Armenia with first ever visit by a defence minister
The visit comes amid a growing rift between the Soviet-era master Moscow and Yerevan, which has grown angry with the Kremlin over its perceived inaction on Armenia's long-running confrontation with Azerbaijan.
In October 2023, France announced the sale of defence equipment to Armenia, provoking anger from Azerbaijan.
The deal was announced weeks after Baku seized the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists.
France, home to a large Armenian diaspora, has played a mediating role in the decades-long conflict over control of Karabakh, whose recapture by Azerbaijan led to the exodus of some 100,000 Armenians.
(with AFP)
A new approach to save our declining Sunday schools
Why is it that our church infrastructure and our communities are often discussed as interchangeable terms? The church goes beyond the spiritual needs of the diaspora, given the unique relationship between our faith and our heritage. The vast majority of our communities in the diaspora are centered around a local parish with a complement of patriotic, philanthropic and educational organizations. It is rare to see a community in the Armenian diaspora without a functioning church parish. When our survivor generation came to these shores, they brought their familial lifestyle with them, which was centered around the church. Even today, as changing demographics expand our community base into other geographies, the establishment of a new community usually begins with a mission parish. This reflects not only the importance of spirituality in Armenian life, but specifically the importance of the institution itself in sustaining the diaspora. In the absence of the church, our communities would operate as several loosely connected secular organizations.
The church should never take its communal importance for granted and neither should members of the community. There are several barometers of the sustainable health of the church. We can look to spiritual health, outreach programs, financial stability or parish membership. These are all important and contribute to the overall picture, but I believe that the engagement of the youth is one of the best indicators of vibrancy and the future direction of this institution. Ironically, the youth represent the future but are underrepresented in the decision-making processes of the church. We assume we know what is in their best interests. This is one of the reasons why I am always interested in the health of the Sunday school programs. Traditionally, our Sunday schools are designed to offer Christian education according to the teachings of the Armenian church from preschool through high school. In some parishes, high school students are blended with other programs, such as the ACYOA in the Diocese. Using Sunday schools as a barometer of a community’s health, we should be very concerned. Usually our proxy decisions for the youth work, but in times of rapid change there is dangerous latency. Such is the case with the digital revolution as it relates to education.
Harry and Elise Markarian of Providence bow their heads in prayer in front of their computer as Sunday School class began in 2021.
Our Sunday schools, whether in the Prelacy or Diocese, have been in decline for a few decades. We can use almost any metric to illustrate the points of regression. The number of students according to registrations has declined consistently since the late 70s. Registration is actually a more forgiving measurement, since it simply tells us who signed up in September but does not account for the inconsistent attendance week to week. We have teachers in every community who prepare lessons weekly only to have the students attend inconsistently. Imagine the challenge of teaching with less kids and a different group week to week. One of the ironies is that a significant emphasis has been put on curriculum and other teaching material. We are well prepared in this area, but it has not slowed the decline. This week I had the pleasure of speaking with someone who taught Sunday school for many years and recalled when the parish Sunday school had 400 students; today, it has a small fraction of that. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated example. Most of our parishes are experiencing this tragedy, and we have parishes that do not have a Sunday school. What can their future be? There are many dedicated volunteers in parishes and staff at our Diocese/Prelacy who have discussed this problem at retreats, teacher training seminars and conventions. The challenge has received significant attention, but we seem to be pushing the wrong buttons. Are we reaching the intended audience?
The data tells us that Christian education is simply not as important to the current generation. By debating the symptoms, such as competing sports, assimilation or intermarriage, we have provided ourselves rationalizations to explain away the problem. We have not lost the children. There are hundreds who find joy in our schools. We have lost the parents. They are making choices other than a church education for their children. Many cave to the peer pressure that sports on Sundays are vital to their child’s development. I have never understood why our clergy are not more direct with parents, articulating that this is not in their best interests. Our priests can say this as a part of their ministry without being accused of being judgmental. We are trying to solve this problem in our churches through teacher training, curriculum and activities. Yet the problem is in the home. Until we find a way to build spiritual families, they will never understand what they are missing. We ask our families to pray together during meals. How many families even share a meal amid their overly scheduled lives? In recent weeks, I have shared some thoughts about the importance of change for maintaining vitality and relevance. We need a new approach with our Sunday schools. We have pilot programs for church membership and stewardship integration. Why are we not piloting new programs that bring God and the Armenian church into the home for our parents and children? What would that look like? Here are some ideas to consider.
An increasing number of students have no home experience to attract them to church. No connection has been made to draw them to Sunday services. We rely on the commitment of the parents, which is a diminishing proposition. Most parents, however, will prioritize what interests their kids. If there was something exciting happening in their homes relative to Armenian Christian education, it may provide the connection that is missing today. The argument that a church education is more important than conflicting social or athletic events has not worked. Children must discover the value in their homes.
We love our church, and its future should be our motivation. Our methods must be better aligned to current educational vehicles. This will not alter the theology or the history of our church but open new doors for its acceptance.
Our educational practices must reflect what these children are used to in their daily lives. They are growing up with web-based learning, streaming programs and digital integration. This is how our children are learning during the week in their public or private education. In the simplest form, we must design digital programming for the home that can be viewed by parents and children and open new doors for families. Imagine the possibilities if students connected to streaming platforms, YouTube channels or web-based programs using age appropriate animation and other graphic tools. The children would have weekly programming during a window of time, maybe 2-3 weekdays. Soon it would become a part of their weekly schedule, if done professionally. Episodes would be connected to Sundays for continuity and building interest. Animation is a proven method of building interest and teaching primary grades. Interactive programming would focus on the needs of secondary students. Instead of watching programs that serve as babysitters, older students could equally become hooked on innovative educational programs that focus on Armenian Christian education. Make it fun, connect with characters and tell the stories. Students could receive merchandise of important characters through the Diocese/Prelacy. In addition to a hundred stuffies that kids collect on their beds, there might be a St. Gregory or St. Hripsime. With more children participating in the primary grades, there will be a foundation for transitioning to the secondary grades. This is an area of significant attrition today. These are just a few of the possibilities.
One of the objections to this type of programming is that everything must take place in the church. I am suggesting that in order to achieve a breakthrough, the programming should be under the control of the church but not limited to its four walls. Some of our more traditional leaders do not understand how young minds learn today. I don’t think that any of us in the adult community actually fully understand it, and for this reason, we should consider focus groups with students to feed the development process. It would be a closed loop process of adjusting to what works and what doesn’t. We should ask ourselves: Is it riskier to the health of the church to maintain the same approach or to focus on the core of the issue – the home? This would represent a significant shift in funding, resources and leadership. Programming could be national or regional, thus relieving some of the redundant burden in parishes. A pilot program could be launched in a few parishes before full implementation. There are two critical elements to this strategic shift. The focus will be building interest in the homes that will be reflected in participation, and content will be designed to connect with the existing digital culture that our children understand. We love our church, and its future should be our motivation. Our methods must be better aligned to current educational vehicles. This will not alter the theology or the history of our church but open new doors for its acceptance. We are experiencing a tragedy in that so few have experienced the beauty of our church and what it has to offer. I have heard the term “irrelevant” too often from those who have left the church. It hurts me to the core to observe the gap between ignorance and substance. We must do better if we are to pass a healthy institution on to the future. We are stewards during our time on this earth.
Utilizing different teaching methods does not compromise the essence of who we are. On the contrary, it honors it by providing new avenues of knowledge acquisition. Once our children establish a better connection with an educational opportunity, we will begin to see the creative branches blossom, with our students offering prose and poetry as expressions of their experience. I have watched carefully how my grandchildren learn. It is different from my generation or even my children’s generation. The goal of current educational methods is to establish a passion for knowledge within the students, and once that is established, their self-motivation will take them to new heights. With digital programming, our children will better identify with the content and position themselves for peer _expression_ in the near future. Absorb and express is a powerful two-step method to bring Armenian Christian identity into the fabric of children’s lives. It starts with the will to change our approach.
Armenia ideally positioned to offer India alternative trade route with Europe: Minister
Armenia is ideally positioned to offer India an alternative sea trade route, especially with Europe, Narek Mkrtchyan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Republic of Armenia said on February 21 at an event on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue 2024.
"The Armenian government is committed to forming partnerships in major regional and global projects like North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Gulf Black sea transport, and the transit corridor and the Chabahar port development, which is a collaborative effort between India and Iran," the minister said.
He added that this offer assumes significance at a time when many nations, including India, are looking for alternative sea routes to trade with Europe and the West given the spate of attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea.
Back in March 2023, Armenia proposed a Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor to connect Indian traders with Russia and Europe.
This was reportedly suggested to link the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea to facilitate trade between India, Russia, and Europe, which would serve as an alternative trade corridor that will operate alongside the INSTC to establish a trade link between Mumbai and Bandarabas Seaport in Iran and then proceed to Armenia and further on to Europe or Russia.
The Armenian minister also pitched for collaborating with India on Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a global coalition where ministers of labour and social protection can consult and trigger investments for AI.
"There is potential to collaborate on AI for social good to address sectors like healthcare, agriculture, environmental conservation planning. We could also potentially establish a global AI innovation platform to facilitate the sharing of Solutions and Research," he added.
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/armenia-ideally-positioned-to-offer-india-alternative-trade-route-with-europe-minister-12324951.html
Azeri gunfire in Syunik left village residents in panic and terror
14:02, 13 February 2024
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. Locals in the Armenian village of Nerkin Hand in Syunik were terrorized by the Azeri shooting Tuesday morning, the Human Rights Defender’s Office said in a statement.
The Ombudsperson’s Office is studying the impact of the Azeri gunfire of February 13 in Syunik in terms of violations of human rights of the civilians.
Multiple local residents told the Human Rights Defender’s Office that they personally heard the gunshots, which left them in panic and terror, as well as uncertainty.
The Ombudsperson’s office said that the Azeri gunfire disrupted the fundamental rights of the civilian population, such as the right to life, right to live safely and others rights.
The Azeri military’s actions pose a real danger in terms of ensuring the rights of the locals.
4 Armenian soldiers were killed and 1 was wounded in the morning of February 13 when Azerbaijani forces opened fire at a border post in Syunik.
Asbarez: Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan in Recovery
Western Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan (left) with Very Rev. Zareh Sarkissian
The Executive and Religious council of the Western Prelacy announced Friday that due to health concerns and under the strict orders of his physicians, Prelate Bishop Torkom Donoyan is in need of immediate convalescence to fully recover, thus he will be halting his administrative duties.
During this period, Very Reverend Zareh Sarkissian, the Dean of the St. Mary’s Apostolic Church in Glendale, will be the representative of the Prelate and the chief administrator of the Western Prelacy.
During Two-Week Visit to DC, Artsakh Officials Advocate for Rights and Safe Return of Artsakh’s Armenians
Artak Beglaryan and Gegham Stepanyan participated in a panel at George Washington University
WASHINGTON – Republic of Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan and former State Minister Artak Beglaryan concluded a two-week advocacy mission to Washington that called on U.S. Congressional leaders, Administration officials, and a broad array of faith-based and human rights groups to hold Azerbaijan accountable for the genocide against Artsakh’s 150,000 indigenous Armenian Christians and to provide support to refugees as mechanisms are explored to ensure their safe return to the homes from which they were forcibly displaced.
Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan with Rep. Chris Smith Rep, Ted Lieu received a briefing about Artsakh
Amb. Rashad Hussein Rep. David Valadeo with Artak Beglaryan Sen. Gary Peters with Artsakh reps. Sen. Armed Service Committee chair Jack Reed Sen. Gary Peters
Rep. Barbara Lee
The Armenian National Committee of America joined with Stepanyan and Beglaryan in over 60 meetings and briefings with Congressional offices, coinciding with the introduction of two resolutions that would cut military aid to Azerbaijan’s genocidal regime, holding Azerbaijan accountable for its crimes.
In the Senate, Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced a bipartisan resolution (S.Res.540) that would require the State Department to provide a detailed description of widely documented human rights abuses perpetrated by Azerbaijan, pursuant to Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act, which could block all military aid to the genocidal Aliyev regime.
U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) was joined by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and House Foreign Affairs Committee member Gabe Amo (D-RI) in introducing the House counterpart (H.R.7288) of the Senate’s unanimously-adopted “Armenian Protection Act,” (S.3000), which would block US security aid to Azerbaijan for two years.
Stepanyan and Beglaryan offered eye-witness accounts of the brutal realities of Azerbaijan’s ten-month blockade of Artsakh, which culminated in the September 2023 genocidal attack that forcibly emptied Artsakh of its indigenous Armenian population. In addition to the passage of the latest legislation urging an end to U.S. support for Azerbaijan’s genocidal actions, the Artsakh people’s advocates urged:
— Sanctions on Azerbaijan, including the enforcement of Section 907 and the application of Magnitsky sanctions on Aliyev government officials for war crimes and ethnic cleansing committed during the 2020 Azerbaijan-Turkey attacks against Armenia and Artsakh and subsequent genocidal aggression.
— U.S. aid for Artsakh’s forcibly displaced Armenians, including housing and job placement assistance, until a secure mechanism can be put in place through international oversight and mediation with Artsakh authorities to guarantee the safe and dignified return of forcibly displaced Armenians to their Artsakh homes.
— Expanded U.S. and international efforts to help secure the immediate release of Artsakh leaders, POWS, and all the other captured persons illegally held by Azerbaijan since the 2020 Azerbaijan/Turkey attacks and the 2023 aggression.
— Preservation of Artsakh’s Armenian cultural and religious heritage already vandalized or under threat of destruction by Azerbaijan.
Stepanyan and Beglaryan stressed that without international efforts to address the Artsakh people’s right to safe return, dignified life in Artsakh, and justice for the crimes committed, it will be impossible to establish sustainable peace in the region. They also emphasized that the systemic anti-Armenian hatred fomented by the Azerbaijani Government must be eradicated to ensure an enduring settlement of the conflict and regional stability.
While in Washington, Beglaryan and Stepanyan participated in the International Religious Freedom Summit, co-chaired by Ambassador Sam Brownback, the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (2018-2021) and Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights.
During a presentation made to a diverse group of faith-based organizations and US government officials, Stepanyan explained, “I speak before you today not just as the human rights defender (Ombudsman) of my people but as a witness and a survivor of genocide.” He stressed that the world is witnessing the systematic erasure of “the Christian and world heritage of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), of its ancient churches and hallowed cemeteries, now standing silent under the shadow of occupation and desecration by the dictatorial Aliyev regime of Azerbaijan.” Stepanyan urged faith leaders and government officials to rally together and serve as “the shield that protects the vulnerable, the voice that speaks for the silenced and the light that pierces the darkness of cultural erasure. Only then can we ensure that the soul of Artsakh, its ancient and sacred Christian heritage, is not lost forever.”
“Artsakh’s rights were center stage these past two weeks in Washington, DC, as two of the Republic’s most eloquent voices – Artak Beglaryan and Gegham Stepanyan – made the case to U.S. legislators and international religious freedom leaders for the safe return of indigenous Armenians to their ancient homeland,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Over the course of dozens of Congressional meetings, legislators heard first-hand about the Artsakh Genocide and explored the concrete U.S. steps needed to restore this integral part of the Armenian homeland.”
Beglaryan and Stepanyan’s visit was part of a 120,0000 Reasons coalition effort, supported by the Tufenkian Foundation and the Philos Project, and over 20 human rights, faith-based, and ethnic organizations, calling on the US Government to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its genocide against Artsakh’s Armenian population and to prevent further aggression against Armenia.
The Artsakh people’s representatives also participated in a fireside chat, organized by the George Washington University Armenian Law Students’ Association, where they shared the ongoing challenges facing Artsakh’s displaced and the need for concrete political and legal action. They also shared their powerful message of survival and issued an international call to action during a series of press interviews
In addition to educational efforts in the nation’s capital, the trip also included a robust series of meetings with international organizations and community leaders in New York. While in Washington, they met with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Earlier, Stepanyan and Beglaryan participated in meetings with California state and local government officials, various university law programs, and community forums organized through the Armenian Bar Association, in conjunction with their annual meeting.
Asbarez: Schiff Endorses Ardy Ardashes Kassakhian For City Council
Rep. Adam Schiff with Ardy Kassakhian
Congressman Says Kassakhian Has the Experience and Knowledge to Lead Glendale
GLENDALE — Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), announced his endorsement of Glendale City Councilmember Ardy Kassakhian for City Council in the upcoming March 5, 2024 Election. Congressman Schiff has represented Glendale in Congress since his election in 2000.
“Ardy’s commitment to Glendale and his passion for public service is exemplary,” stated Congressman Schiff in a written statement. “His experience, knowledge of issues, and willingness to listen and lead with compassion have helped him be an effective leader and make Glendale a great city. I am proud to endorse Ardy Kassakhian for Glendale City Council and urge Glendale voters to elect Ardy on March 5, 2024.”
“I am honored to have the endorsement of Congressman Adam Schiff and his vote of confidence. He is one of our nation’s great leaders and someone who exemplifies the highest standard of sacrifice, integrity, and public service,” said Kassakhian. “Over the course of his service, Congressman Schiff has helped secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of our police DNA crime lab and has helped secure funding for important initiatives and projects that directly benefit our residents.” Congressman Adam Schiff’s endorsement adds to the growing list of elected officials who have endorsed Ardy Kassakhian’s bid for Glendale City Council.
Kassakhian grew up in Glendale after his family moved here in 1985. He attended public Glendale public schools and graduated from Glendale High School. He was first elected Glendale City Clerk in 2005 and was reelected four times before running for City Council in 2020. He served as Mayor of Glendale from 2022-2023 and as Chair of the Glendale Housing Authority.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Chairman of the California State New Motor Vehicle Board. Kassakhian graduated from UCLA (BA) and Northwestern University (MPPA) and the Executive Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He currently is an adjunct faculty member at Glendale Community College teaching political science and government. He lives with his wife Courtney and their young son in the Pelanconi neighborhood of Glendale.