Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Government plans to allocate 120 billion drams for improvement of road networks in 2024

Emil Lazarian

 15:10,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The government plans to direct approximately 120 billion drams from the budget in 2024 to the improvement of Armenia’s road networks, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan told lawmakers Tuesday.

Most of the money, 103,8 billion, will be allocated for capital spending, Sanosyan said at a parliamentary committee hearing on the 2024 budget draft.

“In particular, we have major allocations in terms of the North-South Road project, 42,5 billion drams is envisaged for 2024. The Lanjik-Gyumri section is now under construction, where the main part of the work will be completed this year,” Sanosyan said.

One section of the Ashtarak-Talin road is now under construction and the construction of the other section will soon begin.

The construction of the 32km Agarak-Kajaran road section is also planned to start soon.

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 31-10-23

Emil Lazarian

 17:10,

YEREVAN, 31 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 31 October, USD exchange rate up by 0.74 drams to 403.00 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 4.37 drams to 429.84 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.06 drams to 4.38 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.84 drams to 491.62 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 237.64 drams to 25882.40 drams. Silver price up by 5.66 drams to 299.95 drams.

Asbarez: Mesrobian School’s Cultural Night Returns With Roar

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Mesrobian Armenian School students performing during Cultural Night on Oct. 20


BY NAROD EKMEKJIAN

Back and better than ever, October 20 marked the return of Mesrobian School’s renowned Cultural Night, an evening full of vibrant displays of Armenian traditions, art, cuisine, and the physical and spiritual unity of an Armenian school and community.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the popular event was placed on a temporary hold to ensure the safety of students and attendees. Nevertheless, with the decreasing severity of the pandemic and the help of both the school’s dedicated faculty and the diligent Parent Faculty Association, the return of Cultural Night became a spectacular event.

This long-awaited homecoming sparked a palpable sense of excitement and relief within students, such as 11th grader, Emma Deravedissian, who stated, “I can speak on behalf of all Mesrobian students when I say it was a truly missed event, and we are so glad it has returned!”

The night opened with a warm introduction and welcome speech to the estimated 700 guests. As the night continued, the environment soon became filled with cultural spirit, as all grades presented a wide array of the most exceptional traditional and modernized Armenian dances.

This diverse display revealed the collective dedication of faculty, staff, and dance instructors, Lily and Eliz Grigorian, whose diligent efforts were supported with the enthusiastic and celebratory reactions from the audience. It is certain that the audience left with a lasting impact from their committed efforts.

In addition to cultural performances were high amounts of social productivity, supported with the wide variety of Armenian souvenirs, merchandise, and delicacies. This combination of lively conversations and delectable cuisines made the occasion a memorable one.

It is crucial to acknowledge that the recent loss of Artsakh had a significant influence on the event, most powerfully displayed by the heartfelt demonstration presented by the 11th and 12th grade boys. “As I watched, I couldn’t help getting all emotional; I even shed a few tears… This, along with all the other performances, truly was an outstanding display,” said an Armenian Mesrobian School parent who was moved by the performancs.

Armenian electronic label Discotchari releases first deadstock discovery of “Something Different”

Emil Lazarian
 Melody Seraydarian Hye Key, Columns 0

It was a case of serendipity. In a post-ceasefire Armenia, the story behind Discotchari’s inaugural release is a testament to the bonding power of art, even in times of strife. The “deadstock discovery” – a term used for warehoused, sealed or discontinued records that have been removed from catalog – emerged when Discotchari stumbled upon a cache of ’45s featuring virtuosos John Bilezikjian and Raja Zahr, still encased in their original factory boxes from 1970. Available on November 3, 2023, this collaboration will be released on hundreds of 7” 45rpm units, plus digital downloads and streaming on all platforms. 

Discotchari, a sublabel under Critique, is an L.A-based electronic label that selector and A&R Zach Asdourian and DJ and marketing professional Anaïs Gyulbudaghyan started in 2020, focused on reconstructing a long-lost back-catalog of rare groove music from artists of Armenian and Middle Eastern/SWANA identities to form an archive of songs that would be rediscovered by future generations of listeners. Over the years, Asdourian and Gyulbudaghyan learned the value of building a community of fans and Armenian “rare groovers” organically, rather than creating songs with the sole intent of achieving algorithmic rotation over the Internet.

“We started Discotchari based on our firm belief that, by increasing awareness of our music history, we can positively influence socio-political Armenian issues by providing a means for artasahmantsiner (non-Armenians) to experience our culture while also providing a consistent source of inspiration and pride for our barekamner (fellow Armenians) faced with an existential crisis,” says Asdourian. “In the last century we have seen smaller countries like Japan and Jamaica grow into cultural exportation phenomena, and in both cases music has played a big role in attracting interest from global markets. These economics reinforce the sovereignty of these countries, and the Armenia we know today has potential to become a prime destination for cuisine, nature, spirituality, innovation and all forms of artisanry.”

Front cover of album (Photo credit: Discotchari)

The release, Something Different, which features songs “Zulu Man” and “Chemical Reaction,” speaks to the souls of two extraordinary artists, John Bilezikjian and Raja Zahr. John Bilezikjian, largely recognized as the twentieth century’s most advanced oud musician, made an everlasting impression on the world of music, and as Asdourian called it in an interview with the Weekly, “a respectful iconoclast who ventured beyond the boundaries of ‘Western Armenian’ tradition set forth by Udi Hrant’s generation then maintained by John Berberian and others.” His commitment to decoding the oud’s history and uncovering its full potential continues to astound listeners, and naturally, as a scholar of Middle Eastern music, his library of 20th century Turkish encyclopedias, sheet music and pop records reveal a passion for confirming the Armenian (along with Greek and Jewish) origins of Ottoman classical music. 

On the flip side, Raja Zahr’s journey from Beirut to Oklahoma and his eventual settlement in glitzy Los Angeles is one of adventure and passion. In the local scene of belly dance nightclubs, he established himself as a premier Arabic percussionist. The combination of John’s oud expertise and Raja’s percussion prowess resulted in a one-of-a-kind musical collaboration.

“Raja met John through a mutual acquaintance, and they developed a quick bond as they began touring across the Southwestern states, performing their repertoire of regional belly dance standards and writing original compositions together,” Asdourian said. “Of the nine songs they wrote together, two of them were recorded in 1970 at a studio owned by a friend of Raja and ended up pressed onto the vinyl records that Discotchari is releasing. According to Raja, other songs were recorded but got lost when the studio burned down.” 

Back cover of album (Photo credit: Discotchari)

The two songs capture the mentality of two superstar musicians, at a very young age, adjusting to a new environment while trying to maintain a connection to their roots. The record features the ancient oud and darbuka colliding with the fallout of the global psychedelic movement. One song muses about melancholy and desperate feelings, and another leads listeners on an action-packed adventure of drum breaks. 

And how did this release come to be? I’ll let Zach share. 

“A year and a half ago, we did not have any set plans for the first Discotchari release, so we tried to focus on things that would help us gather the material and resources to take that next big step. We were very experimental in trying to build our audience, and ironically it was the idea of merchandising that actually led to the discovery of the Something Different 45s! John Bilezikjian had a label in the 70s called ‘Dantz Records.’ The label logo and album artworks are as clever as the name’s play on words,” explained Asdourian. 

“I was able to track down and meet John Bilezikjian’s son, Johnny, to pitch this apparel idea I had, but when I told him that my main focus was reissuing Armenian dance records, he told me that his father had a record collection like no other, and that I should come check it out sometime,” Asdourian continued.

After purchasing this record collection from Johnny last year, Asdourian and Gyulbudaghyan discovered, among sealed vinyl of Elias Rahbani and Fairuz, a couple hundred copies of the Something Different 45s still in their original factory boxes from 1970. They were able to uncover the entire production run of these records nestled between CDs, cassettes and reel-to-reels, and reach an agreement with Johnny and Raja Zahr to give these unheard recordings the proper release that they deserved. 

The songs are quintessentially 1970s, pulling in common psychedelic notions from the era’s “mind-expanding” music, a-la-Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, Genesis and other introspective bands known for their complex instrumentals, and equally as complex, thoughtful lyricism. However, John and Raja found a way to blend Near Eastern flavors and a clear love for their roots with progressive and psychedelic rock. It’s interesting to see the dichotomy between the two similar-but-different songs. 

“The song ‘Chemical Reaction’ written by Raja is the theme to its own world of sandy landscapes and scorching sun. From the very first seconds ‘Chemical Reaction’ takes you on a whirlwind of emotions. The scenarios are endless when it comes to properly categorizing the high times and low lunges this track can create on a dance floor,” describes Asdourian. “The song ‘Zulu Man’ on the other hand is John’s ode to 60s rock ballads, full of light, smooth, complex instrumental passages that equally put you at ease and keep you guessing where they’re going next. ‘Zulu Man’ is leaning more towards the obscurities of Gandalf and King Crimson than the soundtracks of the decade.” 

With their first label release coming soon, Discotchari has no plans to stop anytime soon, with another rare Armenian discovery coming soon, along with an electronic album by a Yerevan-based artist.

“In our search for music, we aim to present a different angle on Armenian music, focusing on long-lost gems that never made it to the general public, and our upcoming releases completely reflect that,” says Gyulbudaghyan. “In line with our radio residency, we’re rolling out a series of club nights called ‘Silk Road Secret Agents’ that are focused on representing the music of legendary trade routes connecting Asia and Africa with Europe via the Middle East, sewing a rich tapestry of musical heritage as we go. We’re looking forward to collaborating with SWANA musicians, DJs and creatives, to reignite thousands of years of cultural exchange, to disrupt conventional perspectives and diffuse critical intel behind often elusive recordings.”

In a world where music serves as a reflection of our shared human experience, Discotchari’s work illustrates how art can transcend time and borders. Something Different, their inaugural release, is more than just a reissue of a long-lost gem. It’s an homage to the power of music to unify across cultural differences.

Gyulbudaghyan concluded, “We love Armenian records and want to turn their global nuances into a talking point, so we started the conversation ourselves on social media, and 18 months later, we’re now able to release a record that embodies the cultural fusion we are so passionate about highlighting.” 

Something Different is available on Bandcamp and Soundcloud and features John Bilezikjian on oud and harpsichord and Raja Zahr on drums and Arabic percussion.

John and Raja in the studio circa 1987 (Photo Credit: Discotchari)

Artist: John Bilezikjian, Raja Zahr
Album: Something Different
Label: Discotchari
Catalog Number: DSC001
Barcode: 197644375011
Release Date: November 3, 2023
Genre: World, Psychedelic Rock
Format: digital + deadstock 7” 45rpm
License: courtesy of the artists
Rights: © ℗ Discotchari 2023
Originally pressed by Nose Records in 1970

Side A:

  1. Zulu Man – 3:17

Side B:

  1. Chemical Reaction – 2:37

Engineer: Drew Bennett
Producer: Paul Massaad
Liner Notes: Zach Asdourian
Personnel: Jim Zrake, John Mazo, Russ Viot

  •  Bio
  •  Latest Posts
Melody Seraydarian is a journalist and undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a degree in Media Studies with a concentration in media, law and policy. Her column, "Hye Key," covers politics, culture and everything in between from a Gen-Z perspective. She is from Los Angeles, California and is an active member of her local Armenian community.


AW: New York Winter Vernissage 2023

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Community News, Diaspora 0

The AYF New York “Hyortik,” Manhattan “Moush” and ANC-NY Chapters will be hosting the third annual New York Vernissage fundraising event on Saturday, December 9, 2023 from 1-5 p.m. at St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church, 3685 234th Street, Douglaston, NY 11363. 

The event is usually held in the springtime, but this year we are introducing our first NY Winter Vernissage during the holiday season. We would like to take the time to acknowledge the cultural achievements of Armenian Diasporans today and feature the success of our local Armenian businesses through art, food, clothing, accessories and more. Our Vernissage event, inspired by the popular open-air market in Yerevan, Armenia, is unique as it highlights the amazing work of different types of Armenian vendors. It also brings together our local community and emphasizes the importance of supporting our fellow Armenians.

If you are interested in participating as a vendor, please contact [email protected] for more information about selling products. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Armenian Relief Society Artsakh Relief Fund.

We look forward to the event and encourage the Greater New York community to join us for another successful NY Vernissage event this December!




RFE/RL Armenian Service – 10/30/2023

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Monday, 


Aliyev ‘Reluctant To Meet Pashinian’

        • Ruzanna Stepanian

Armenia - Parliament deputy Armen Khachatrian.


A senior Armenian lawmaker suggested on Monday that Azerbaijani President Ilham 
Aliyev is now reluctant to hold further talks with Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian to finalize a peace accord sought by Western powers.

Aliyev and Pashinian had been expected to sign a document laying out the key 
parameters of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty at a meeting with the leaders 
of the European Union, Germany and France slated for October 5. However, Aliyev 
withdrew from the talks at the last minute, citing pro-Armenian statements made 
by French officials.

EU Council President Charles Michel said afterwards that the Armenian and 
Azerbaijani leaders will likely hold a trilateral meeting with him in Brussels 
later in October. It was confirmed last week that the rescheduled meeting will 
not take place in the coming days.

“It means that [Aliyev] doesn’t want a meeting at the moment,” said Armen 
Khachatrian, the deputy chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on defense 
and security.

Speaking in the Armenian parliament earlier in the day, Pashinian said that 
Yerevan and Baku broadly agree on three key principles of the Western-backed 
treaty discussed by them. Those include mutually recognizing the 
Armenian-Azerbaijani border dating back to Soviet times, and using late 
Soviet-era maps to delimit it, he told lawmakers.

Khachatrian claimed, however, that Baku has so far declined to formalize those 
understandings.

“They may say in the presence of international mediators that these are very 
good principles, that they agree to them … but take no real steps in practice to 
implement those principles,” he told reporters.

“Right now we see some delays, which is not good,” added the lawmaker 
representing Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party.

Still, Khachatrian expressed confidence that Western pressure will force Baku to 
stop dragging its feet. The EU urged Baku and Yerevan late last week to finalize 
the treaty before the end of this year.




Armenia Joins Ukraine-Backed Talks In Malta


Malta - Andriy Yermak (right), head of Ukraine's presidential office, meets 
Armen Grigorian, secretary of Armenia's Security Council, October 28, 2023.


In a move that could add to tensions between Armenia and Russia, a senior 
Armenian official attended peace talks initiated by Ukraine and met with the 
chief of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s staff in Malta at the weekend.

Armen Grigorian, the secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, was among 
representatives of more than 60 countries who gathered on the island to discuss 
Zelenskiy’s 10-point plan to end the war with Russia. The plan calls for the 
restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and withdrawal of Russian troops 
from the country.

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the two-day meeting as a “blatantly 
anti-Russian event” that has “nothing to do with the search for a peaceful 
resolution.”

Andriy Yermak, the powerful head of Zelenskiy’s office, thanked Grigorian for 
his participation when they met on the sidelines of the event. A statement by 
the office said Yermak praised “Armenia's decision to join the group of states 
supporting the Ukrainian Peace Formula.”

“The head of the Office of the President confirmed Ukraine's readiness to 
strengthen cooperation with Armenia, particularly in the context of European 
integration,” added the statement.

Spain - Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Ukrainian President 
Volodymyr Zelenskiy meet in Granada, October 5, 2023.

Yermak also spoke of “a new context” in Ukrainian-Armenian relations, pointing 
to Zelenskiy’s first-ever meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian 
held during the European Union’s October 5 summit in Granada.

The two leaders spoke in the Spanish city one month after Pashinian’s wife, Anna 
Hakobian, visited Kyiv to attend the annual Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen 
held there. Hakobian also delivered Armenia’s first humanitarian aid to Ukraine 
since the start of the Russian invasion.

The Russian Foreign Ministry listed Hakobian’s trip among “a series of 
unfriendly steps” taken by Yerevan against Moscow when it summoned the Armenian 
ambassador a few days later.

Russian-Armenian relations have deteriorated further since then. Pashinian last 
week again accused Russia of not honoring its security commitments to Armenia 
and defended his efforts to “diversify” his country’s foreign and security 
policies. He made clear, though, that Yerevan has no plans yet to demand the 
withdrawal of Russian troops from Armenia.

Incidentally, neither Grigorian nor his office issued a statement on his meeting 
with Yermak as of Monday evening. Grigorian posted on his Facebook page instead 
readouts of his meetings with other foreign officials attending the Malta talks.




Dozens Reported Dead During Karabakh Exodus

        • Susan Badalian

A satellite image shows a long traffic jam of vehicles along the Lachin corridor 
as ethnic Armenians flee from the Nagorno-Karabakh, September 26, 2023.


At least 64 people died during last month’s mass exodus of Nagorno-Karabakh’s 
population resulting from an Azerbaijani military offensive, an Armenian 
law-enforcement agency said on Monday.

More than 100,000 Karabakh Armenians, the region’s virtually entire remaining 
population, fled to Armenia in the space of a week. The hundreds of cars, buses 
and trucks carrying them caused a massive traffic jam on a 50-kilometer road 
connecting Armenia to Stepanakert. It reportedly took them at least 30 hours to 
reach the Armenian border.

A spokesman for Armenia’s Investigative Committee, Gor Abrahamian, told RFE/RL’s 
Armenia Service that 64 refugees died during the arduous journey due to a lack 
of medicine, medical aid, food and heating.

The Armenian authorities maintain that Karabakh’s depopulation is the result of 
“ethnic cleansing” carried out by Azerbaijan. Baku denies forcing local 
residents to flee their homes.

Citing tentative data from Karabakh authorities, Abrahamian also said the 
24-hour hostilities, which broke out on September 19, left that more than 200 
Karabakh soldiers and nine local civilians, including three children, dead. 
Thirty other soldiers and 12 civilians remain unaccounted for, he said.

It is not clear if they might be among some 50 people who went missing during 
the September 25 explosion at a fuel depot outside Stepanakert. At least 220 
Karabakh residents died in the powerful blast and a fire sparked by it.

Earlier this month, Armenia’s human rights ombudswoman, Anahit Manasian, accused 
Azerbaijani troops of committing war crimes during the assault. “There are many 
bodies, including of civilians, transported from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia 
that carry signs of torture and/or mutilation,” Manasian told reporters.

The Investigative Committee put the number of allegedly tortured Karabakh 
Armenians at 14.




Karabakh Leader Hopes For Mass Repatriation


Armenia - Samvel Shahramanian, the Nagorno Karabakh president, is interviewed by 
Artsakh Public TV, Yerevan, October 28, 2023.


Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population, which fled to Armenia following 
the recent Azerbaijani military offensive, could and should be able to return to 
its homeland, Karabakh’s exiled president said over the weekend.

Samvel Shahramanian also defended his decision to accept the Azerbaijani terms 
of the ceasefire that stopped the September 19-20 offensive. It allowed more 
than 100,000 Karabakh Armenians, including military personnel, to “safely leave 
Artsakh,” Shahramanian said in an interview with Karabakh television posted on 
social media. He noted Russian peacekeepers’ failure to try to stop the assault.

The Azerbaijani demands accepted by him included the dissolution of Karabakh’s 
government bodies and armed forces. In addition, Shahramanian signed a decree on 
September 28 saying that the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), 
set up in September 1991, will cease to exist on January 1.

“Hours after the start of the hostilities I realized that we are alone in the 
face of that aggression,” Shahramanian told Artsakh Public Television. “It can 
be said that the Russian side was acting like an observer, and we had to solve 
our issues on our own.”

“It was clear to us that we must stop the hostilities because we were greatly 
outnumbered and the longer we held out the more casualties we would have 
suffered,” he said, adding that his administration managed to “save the lives” 
of not only the surviving Karabakh soldiers but also civilians.

Shahramanian implied that his September 28 decree is null and void when he was 
confronted by dozens of angry Karabakh refugees in Yerevan on October 20. He 
sounded more ambiguous on that score in his latest interview.

Nagorno-Karabakh - A view of laundry hanging on clotheslines at an abandoned 
residential area in Stepanakert, 10 October 2023.

“Without going into details, I want to state that we know the validity and 
impact of that document and we will get to discuss it,” said the Karabakh leader.

Shahramanian further made clear that one of his top priorities now is to assert 
“the right of our citizens displaced from Artsakh to return home.”

“Various political centers -- the American, European and Russian ones -- are 
interested in the issue of the return of the population,” he said. “I think that 
Azerbaijan is also interested in that because they are accused by the 
international community of forcibly deporting the population. And I think that 
negotiations should start on that issue.”

The Azerbaijani government has said that the Karabakh Armenians are free to 
return to their homes if they agree to live under Azerbaijani rule. Only a few 
dozen of them are thought to have stayed in the depopulated region.

Shahramanian was elected president by Karabakh lawmakers just ten days before 
the Azerbaijani offensive. His predecessor Arayik Harutiunian, who was arrested 
by Azerbaijan after the assault, was seen as a figure more loyal to Armenian 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Pashinian’s political allies have openly blamed the Azerbaijani takeover of 
Karabakh on the leadership change in Stepanakert. Shahramanian dismissed their 
accusations. But he was careful not to echo Armenian opposition claims that 
Pashinian himself precipitated the fall of Karabakh with his decision to 
recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over the territory.


Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

The California Courier Online, November 2, 2023

Emil Lazarian

1-         Azerbaijani Gaza Hostage Wrongly Added In Letter
to Biden Signed by Celebrities

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

2-         As Embassy
Opens, Canada
Pledges Increased Aid for Armenian Refugees

3-         Politics or
wealth should not influence Lady Justice

4-         UCI Armenian
Studies and Armenian Association Hosts Garo Paylan

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

1-         Azerbaijani Gaza Hostage Wrongly
Added in Letter
to Biden Signed by Celebrities

            By Harut
Sassounian

            Publisher,
The California
Courier

            www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

 

We are all following the heartbreaking events that are
taking place in Israel and Gaza where thousands of
innocent people are killed, and hundreds have been taken hostage by Hamas. I
condemn all loss of life and hostage-taking regardless of nationality, race or
religion.

Throughout history, as victims of mass murders and Genocide,
Armenians understand well the tragic effects of large-scale killings. Before,
during and after the 2020 Artsakh war, the most gruesome crimes were committed
against thousands of Armenian soldiers and civilians by Azeris.

At the end of the war, Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia signed
an agreement that called for the exchange of all Prisoners of War. Armenia kept its end of the bargain by freeing
all Azeri prisoners immediately, while Azerbaijan is still holding dozens
of Armenians in captivity three years later. No one knows their exact number.
These detainees have been wrongly tried and sentenced to long prison terms not
only in violation of the 2020 agreement, but also the Geneva Convention. Armenian
prisoners have been tortured while in Azeri custody and an unknown number have
been killed.

To make matters worse, after occupying Artsakh last month, Azerbaijan
captured eight high-ranking Artsakh government officials, including three
former presidents, the former State, Defense, and Foreign ministers, deputy
army commander, and Chairman of the Artsakh Parliament. They are all held as
hostages with no hope that they will be released anytime soon.

Turning to the tragic predicament of the over 200 hostages
captured by Hamas in Israel
on October 7, 2023, I support all efforts to have these hostages released as
soon as possible. Several hundred Hollywood
celebrities, including Madonna, Chris Rock, Justin Timberlake, Gwyneth Paltrow,
Jerry Seinfeld, and Tyler Perry, signed a joint letter to Pres. Joe Biden
urging him to “not rest until all hostages are released.”

Last week, an article appeared in various entertainment
magazines and websites that publicized the letter signed by the celebrities to
Biden. The press release about the letter was distributed to the media by
Melissa Zukerman, the Managing Partner at Principal Communications Group, a PR
agency in in Los Angeles.
Despite the good intentions of the initiators of the campaign, a regrettable
mistake detracted from the commendable effort.

The letter included a paragraph that said: “We urge everyone
to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind.
Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British,
Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German,
Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian,
Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan,
Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise, we need to bring them home.”

I commend the celebrities, Ms. Zukerman and everyone else
who had a hand in preparing the letter to Pres. Biden. However, I was surprised
to see in the list of captured nationalities a reference to ‘Azerbaijani’
hostages. As I had not heard that any Azerbaijani was kidnapped by Hamas from Israel, I
wondered if that information was accurate. So, I sent Ms. Zukerman an email
asking about the veracity of the reference to an Azerbaijani hostage. She did
not reply to my email. She also ignored my follow-up email as well as a phone
message I left for her.

Having done further research, I discovered that there were
no reports about an Azerbaijani hostage, except for eight Azerbaijanis, of
which two were dual Azerbaijani-Israeli citizens, who were regrettably killed
by Hamas during the attack.

I then contacted the agent of one of the celebrities who had
signed the letter and asked her if she knew anything about an Azerbaijani who
was taken hostage by Hamas. The celebrity’s agent told me that in the version
of the letter that her client had signed there was no mention of Azerbaijan or
any other nationality. When I sent her the copy of the letter publicized in the
media, she was shocked to learn that Ms. Zukerman’s office had asked the
celebrities to sign a version of the letter that did not include the names of
the 33 nationalities; Ms. Zukerman’s office must have then sent the altered
version of the letter to Pres. Biden without informing the celebrities that
what they had signed is not what was sent to the White House. Appallingly,
these celebrities were not informed of the change in the letter either before
or after signing it. This is highly unprofessional and unethical.

So, this is how Azerbaijan was included wrongly in a letter
to Pres. Biden, making one its citizens a victim of hostage-taking, while in
reality, Azerbaijan is the one that is guilty of taking Armenian hostages.
Regrettably, Ms. Zukerman ignored all of my attempts to find out from her how
such a mistake could have happened, and why no effort was made to correct it or
at least provide a proper explanation? As far as I know, there are no
Azerbaijani hostages in Gaza
or anywhere else in the world. If I am wrong, Ms. Zukerman had plenty of
chances to correct my information but refused to do so.

Lastly, the letter stated, “No hostage can be left behind”
(www.NoHostageLeftBehind.com), which implies that all hostages in the world, no
matter who had captured them and wherever they are, should be released. Such an
all-inclusive plea should have also referred to the dozens of Armenian hostages
held in Azerbaijan.

Only when we care about all hostages without any
distinction, we can claim that we are true humanitarians.

 

************************************************************************************************************************************************
2-         As Embassy Opens, Canada Pledges
Increased Aid for Armenian Refugees

 

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly visited Armenia on October 25 and 26, and the first
Canadian embassy in Armenia
was opened during her visit, marking a milestone in bilateral relations.

During a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign
Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Joly acknowledged ongoing efforts to promote peace
and stability in the region. However, she stressed the need for additional
actions to ensure that takes place. Joly also called Azerbaijan
to respect Armenia’s
territorial integrity, non-use of force, and the right of return for Armenians
displaced from Artsakh. She further urged Azerbaijan to honor the right of
the recently forcibly displaced Armenians from Artsakh to return and facilitate
unimpeded humanitarian access to Artsakh for their safe return. Regarding
possible sanctions on Azerbaijan,
Joly affirmed that discussions are open, emphasizing the importance of
respecting Armenia’s
territorial integrity as a key concern. Joly announced an increase in
humanitarian assistance, allocating $3,900,000 to aid those who were forcibly
displaced from Artsakh.

Mirzoyan conveyed Armenia’s
commitment to advancing peace and adhering to principles in the Granada quadripartite
declaration. He highlighted the mutual recognition of territorial integrity and
the need for border demarcation between Armenia
and Azerbaijan,
emphasizing regional unblocking based on sovereignty, reciprocity, and
equality. Prior to the press conference, Joly held private talks with Mirzoyan,
followed by extended meetings with delegations. Minister Joly also visited the
Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex to pay her respects.

Joly also met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and
President Vahagn Khachatryan as part of her visit.

Joly on Thursday, October 26 visited Jermuk, in Armenia’s Vayots
Dzor Province
where she reported that her country will join the European Union’s monitoring
mission in Armenia.

Canada
will send two observers, who will join the EU Mission, Armenian Deputy Foreign
Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan told reporters.

“It is a pleasure to be here in Jermuk, looking forward to
learning more about the work that has been done by the EU mission which Canada is
joining. Canada
is the first country outside of EU joining this mission. So, we’ll be talking
about the logistics, how we can integrate this important mission which is
important to address the humanitarian issues in the region but also the fact
that it is important to bring much peace and stability,” Joly said during her
meeting with EU observers.

She also visited Armenian combat positions on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

Commander of the 5th Army Corps of Armenia’s Armed Forces
Sasun Badasyan briefed Joly on the operational situation and the occupation of
the sovereign territories of Armenia
by Azerbaijan.
Badasyan detailed that Azerbaijan
has invaded and occupied nearly 19,000 acres of territory in that area.

At the end of the visit she met with forcibly displaced
Artsakh residents.

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3-         Politics or wealth should not
influence Lady Justice

By Sylvia Iskenderian

 

It was March 1990. I was in Armenia
as a guest for International Women’s Day celebrations and to observe and report
back to the Armenian community on the devastating effect of the 1988 earthquake
in Armenia.

My two colleagues and I exuberant but with some reservation
flew to Yerevan.
Although I had been there before, I knew this time would be different. The 1988
earthquake in Armenia and
the pogroms against the Armenians in Baku and Sumgait in Azerbaijan
during the same year and the resulting refugee crisis had shaken the entire
Armenian world. We did not know what we would encounter.

It was three o’clock in the morning when we arrived at
Marriott Hotel—then known as ‘Armenia,’
in the center of Yerevan
City.

My lodging was a small dimly lit but neat single bedroom in
the second building at the back of the main hotel, overlooking some
construction across the road.

We spent the next day with our hosts who took us to Gumri (Leninakan) and Spitak
where the earthquake had struck. The scenes were catastrophic and our mood was
somber as we strode back into the Hotel lobby that evening for dinner.

Suddenly, a great commotion took place. A group of ten or
twelve men dressed in khaki uniforms hastily entered the hotel and headed
towards the dining room across from where we were standing. A few minutes later
the loud music that was playing in there instantly stopped. The men came out of
the hall and headed back to their jeep parked outside. All the bystanders in
the lobby were startled. What was happening?

The uniformed men obliged and told us that two young border
guards were shot dead during skirmishes on the border with Azerbaijan.
They were going to bring their bodies to the Opera square in Yerevan the next day.

The hotel lobby fell silent. We were all alarmed. People in
the dining room began to exit. We were completely unprepared for this. We were
speechless. Fear overwhelmed us.

Gathering our strength, we decided to go to the Opera Square the
next day.

In the morning one of my colleagues, the late Alice Levonian
and I walked to the Opera square carrying my hefty video camera. The square was
already packed with people. We felt we had arrived too late, and that we had no
chance to see anything up close.

However, before we could decide what to do, a crack opened
up in the crowd, everyone pushed aside, and urged us to move forward. We were
ushered through the masses and people promptly helped us on to a platform on
the side of the Statue of Alexander Spendiaryan in the middle of the square! It
was then that we realized that as the public had noticed a video camera in our
hands, they wanted to ensure that the entire event is recorded for the outside
world to see.

Over 100,000 strong crowd had gathered at the square that
morning, mourning the death of those two young soldiers.

Our hearts heavy and overcome by emotion we retuned to our
hotel. The ‘mamig’ whose job was to check on the hotel guests, asked if we
would like to interview the ‘Shahumyantsis’.

We were no journalists. We were three ladies from far away Australia who happened to be in Armenia to
gather information about the earthquake. We had little knowledge about Karabakh
and certainly knew nothing about Shahumyan.

We were taken by surprise. Where was Shahumyan anyway?
Having witnessed the previous day’s events and the heart-wrenching funeral, we
accepted the challenge. It seemed our video camera was doing a great job.

Promptly we were in my room frantically setting up an ad-hoc
interview room. Alice had the job of holding the camera, my other colleague
Silva Kebourian, held the makeshift light we borrowed from the ‘Mamig’ who had
instantly brought it from the storeroom to improve the lighting in the room.

We certainly did not have time to prepare questions. Not
that we knew what to ask!

Before we knew it, two well dressed gentlemen with grim
faces showed up at the door. They came in and sat down.

We need not have worried about the questions to ask. As soon
as we started the video running, they began telling us their story.

We heard what had happened and how it all had commenced. The
Azeri OMON forces without any warning had raided the Shahumyan Council Chambers
in January that year and taken all 12 members of the Council hostage.

At the same time, the OMON soldiers had started to attack
the town. The citizens immediately organized the defense front to protect the
civilian population who were in mortal danger.

This group of ex-Soviet officers was able to free the
hostages and after fighting for over a month, the Azeris retreated, which
stopped the attack for the time being.

However, they were troubled that they might suffer the same
fate as Armenians in Baku and Sumgait if they did not receive any
assistance. They added, “The Armenians can no longer live side by side with the
Azeris.”

This was all too much for us to grasp. After the interview
they asked if we would like to attend a rally where citizens of Getashen and
Martunashen were gathering to discuss the fate of their provinces.

We knew we were caught up in a whirlwind, and it was crucial
to document the events unfolding before our eyes.

The days ahead were solemn and hard to bear. Our visits to
the earthquake devastated zones and seeing people stunned by the enormity of
their losses, as well as the tremendous pressure of a pending war with
Azerbaijan took most of our moments.

The situation was fluid. The terrible pogroms against the
Armenians in Sumgait
in February 1988 were still fresh in our minds. Following the Soviet Union’s
new policy of ‘Glasnost ‘(openness), Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians had demanded
cessation from Azerbaijani rule and re-unification with Armenia. This
started a chain of events that saw firstly the brutal slaughter of Armenians in
Sumgait.
Azerbaijani insurgency resulted in Armenians fleeing Sumgait,
and Kirovabad, Azerbaijan.

Later in January 1990, a seven-day pogrom broke out against
the Armenian civilian population in Baku,
during which Armenians were beaten, murdered, expelled from the city. Seven
hundred people were killed or disappeared. Historical Armenian settlements were
devastated and plundered leading to the exodus of 300,000 Armenians from the
country. Additionally, over 25,000 souls had perished from the earthquake in Armenia’s
Spitak and Gumri regions.

A couple of days later we were again in the midst of a
massive crowd, this time at the foot of the ‘Mother Armenia’ statue in Yerevan
listening to the anguish and protests of the displaced people of Getashen and
Martunashen, who had just lost their homes and lands, forcefully evicted by the
Azeris in the winter of that year.

The concerns of the Shahumyan Armenians were validated. As
we returned home to Australia,
a few months later in the spring/summer of 1991, we heard about ‘Operation
Ring’ started by the USSR.

Mikhail Gorbachev ordered ‘Operation Ring’ in which the
Soviet Army and Azerbaijani OMON special forces surrounded Armenian villages in
Shahumyan. The operation involved ground troops, military, armored vehicles and
artillery. 17,000 Armenians living in Shahumyan’s 24 villages had no choice but
to flee the region not to fall into the same fate as the Armenians of Baku and Sumgait. The town of Shahumyan was totally
evacuated, the church was desecrated and Armenian homes were taken over by
Azerbaijanis.

All this was the precursor of a ground offensive that Azerbaijan launched against the Armenian
population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian autonomous region within Azerbaijan. A
full-fledged war that began in 1992, ended with Armenians liberating their long
awaited homeland, Artsakh, in 1994.

However, after 30 years of negotiations with the mediation
of Europe’s OSCE Minsk group, neither the
status of Artsakh nor the demarcation of borders came to fruition. The
international community failed to take into consideration the thousands of
years of documented historical evidence of Armenian statehood in that territory.

Moreover, not even the legal agreement made by the
Declaration of June 12, 1921 by the National Council of Azerbaijan SSR,
“proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh an integral part of the Armenian SSR” was taken
into account. This agreement was quickly revoked by the Russian SSR and handed
over to Azerbaijan.

Consequently, Artsakh faced another war of attrition, the
now infamous 44-Day War in 2020. This time, the enemy used every conceivable
means, including horrifying banned weapons, foreign mercenaries, drones,
poisonous phosphorus, and massive atrocities that constitute war crimes, to
achieve its goal. It was not long after that when Azerbaijan imposed a total blockade
on the citizens of Artsakh.

The pleas of the Armenian communities around the world went
unheeded by the international players.

Thus, on September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan unleashed a massive
attack and relentlessly bombarded the territory for 24 hours straight.

The independent Republic
of Artsakh had no choice
but to unconditionally surrender.

The Artsakhtsis having suffered nine months of starvation
and oppression due to the blockade, knew very well that if they remained, they
would suffer the same fate as their compatriots in Baku,
Sumgait, Kirovabad,
Shahumyan, Getashen and Martunashen. There was no way they could trust the
Azeri occupiers.

The entire population of Artsakh, 120,000 people, was forced
to evacuate to avoid living under the murderous regime of Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabagh—‘Artsakh’ as we know it—suddenly ceased to exist. The
Artsakhtsis lost their rights to live on their ancient homeland.

The land emptied from its inhabitants! A thriving community
razed in a single day! Now, only the heart rending sight of abandoned dogs,
cats, and horses roam the desolate streets of the Capital Stepanakert.

There is no more wash hanging out the windows of the humble
apartments. You can no longer hear the chatter of little children playing in
the school yards nor the sound of church bells ringing.

The bustling market, once full of vendors proudly displaying
their fresh produce, delicious local honey, and colorful dried fruits, is no
more. You can no more smell the enticing aroma of the freshly cooked ‘Jingelov
hatz’ in the air.

The streets are deserted and quiet. Store windows still full
of their wares stand empty and void. The faint echoes of Armenian music that
played in the stores have been silenced forever.

I remind myself the Shahumyan representative’s words 30
years ago: “Armenians can not live side by side with the Azeris.”

It is hard to fathom the international community’s sense of
justice. They cannot or choose not to understand the value humanity places on
homeland, culture and history.

If a people whose footprint goes back millennia in the
region, the existence of documented history, ancient monuments, monasteries,
castles, graveyards, villages, cities do not constitute habitat, then what
does?

The world is turning a blind eye to the truth and praising
the business of the corrupt expansionist dictators more than Human Rights and
the dignity of mankind.

If ‘true Justice’ is blind because it should see only truth,
today it is blind to power, dominance and greed. Justice is blind to injustice.

4-         UCI Armenian
Studies and Armenian Association Hosts Garo Paylan

By Helena San Roque

 

The UCI
Center for Armenian
Studies and the Armenian Student Association (ASA), in collaboration with the
Center for Truth and Justice, hosted “Armenian Rebirth: The Last Plight,”
featuring Garo Paylan, at Humanities Gateway 1030 on Oct. 16.

Garo Paylan, a former Armenian member of the Turkish
Parliament, served from 2015 to 2023 for two terms as a founding member of the
pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party. Hewas subjected to an assassination plot
in 2022 for uplifting  Armenian genocide
in the Ottoman Empire—present day Turkey— killing over 1.5 million
Armenians  during 1915.

“For more than 100 years, [Armenians have] just been trying
to heal our grandparents. So I struggled in Turkey,” Paylan said.

His visit comes during the aftermath of the 2020
Nagorno-Karabakh War in the South Caucasus, a region in southwest Asia.  The war
resulted in the Azerbaijani invasion and the ethnic cleansing of over 120,000
Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, due to months of
Azerbaijani military aggression and starvation tactics. Tensions around this
region have been ongoing since the fall of the Soviet
Union in 1990 as both countries make claims to this territory.

Paylan also touched on the indifference of larger countries
toward both the Armenians and the Israeli bombings on Gaza,
expressing frustration with the United
States’ involvement in specific
international affairs. 

“Unfortunately, nobody cares about Armenians. After three
generations, we suffered another genocide because Armenian lives do not
matter.” Paylan said. “What Israel
is doing is a hate crime, and Mr. Biden cares more about some countries.”

The Biden Administration committed over $3.3 billion in
funds, including military aid, to Israel in 2022. According to an
Aljazeera report, that same year during the time of the Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan bought $295 million worth of arms
from Israel, making it the
second largest buyer of military weapons after India. More than 60% of Azerbaijan’s weapons are from Israel as the
two countries maintain close relations. 

He explained that Armenia
lacked political leverage, unlike Turkey,
who is close with Russia,
and Azerbaijan who is also
close with Russia and Turkey.
Although Armenia is a member
of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which
guarantees support in military attacks, Paylan claimed that Russian favor had
swayed to Azerbaijan
while he served in office.

“We were told Russians were our allies, and if Turks were to
attack Armenia,
they would help us.” Paylan said. “Russians interests have changed and now they
need to sell and launder their oil to Azerbaijan after the Russia-Ukraine
war.”

Paylan urged the Armenian diaspora to unify in the midst of
the ongoing crisis, looking to other discriminated groups in the Middle East who also face pressure from larger countries.

“If we don’t unite and if we don’t stand up against Turks
and Azeris, they will attack. Because I know Turks. I know Azeris. Look at
Kurds. Look at what’s happening to the Palestinians. There are three identities
that are vulnerable in the Middle East and Caucasus.
One is the Palestinians … and Kurds … of course, and Armenians, unfortunately,”
Paylan said.

He then spoke on the ongoing conflict between Armenia and the
Azerbaijani occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. He talked about the possibility of
peace through open borders with Turkey
and Azerbaijan,
explaining that trade could help strengthen the political borders.

“If we open borders with Turkey, Turkish people will see
that Armenians are not their enemies. They will be doing trade, tourism,
whatever. Everybody will benefit from each other,” Paylan said. “So we need
this. We need this time, this five to ten years in peace. You’ll see. We’ll be
stronger. We’ll go to the point where we can defend our country.”

However, there was disagreement among some of the audience
regarding the normalization between the Turkish and Armenian border. CSULong Beach
geographic information systems master’s student Haig Minasian echoed the
disagreement over Armenia
opening its borders with Turkey.

“I think his presence is commendable,” Minasian said. “But
what he said about peace and justice being achieved through power and strength
did not make sense. He blamed Russia
as the sole betrayer, but opening the borders will expose more untrustworthy
allies.”

Minasian also stated that strengthening the Armenian economy
through open borders and trade with Turkey
and Azerbaijan
would not benefit the majority of its citizens.

“This only benefits the rich, elite Armenians. Only Azerbaijan will
have leverage, whether or not the [Armenian] economy grows,” Minasian added.

The Armenian Student Association gave an official statement
in an email to the New
University following
Paylan’s talk.

“As Armenian students, we are united by a duty to use our
diaspora privilege to help our homeland. In this, we follow Paylan’s example of
leadership and initiative through this difficult time as our people endure and
recover from ethnic cleansing,”

The statement also emphasizes the role of the diaspora
within the Armenian community: to uplift each other.

After the event, professor of history and Meghrouni Family
Presidential Chair in Armenian studies Houri Beberian resonated with Paylan’s
call for unity.

“It was good to hear a new perspective. A perspective that
seems common sense — that Armenians should unite in order to create solutions.
I hope the message of unity will be carried through the diaspora and the
republic,” Berberian said.

 

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Armenia, Ukraine officials discuss prospects of bilateral cooperation

Emil Lazarian

 19:57,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan  and Ukrainian's President's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak discussed the current state of bilateral relations between Armenia and Ukraine during a meeting held in Malta on October 28, the embassy of Armenia in Ukraine said in a statement on social media.

''During the meeting the importance of the first meeting of the Ukrainian President  Volodymyr Zelensky with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was underscored, which took place on October 5 in Granada, Spain within the framework of the summit of the European Political Community.

Andriy Yermak expressed his gratitude for the participation of Anna Hakobyan, the wife of the Armenian Prime Minister, at the First Ladies and Gentlemen's Summit held in Kyiv in early September and for providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainian schoolchildren. 

Ukrainian's President's Chief of Staff  confirmed the commitment of the Ukrainian side to strengthen cooperation with Armenia, particularly in European integration issues.

 The parties congratulated each other on the election of Armenia and Ukraine to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and discussed the cooperation of the two countries within the framework of that organization and in the field of energy in general,'' reads the statement.

The Prime Minister gets acquainted with the overhaul works of kindergarten No. 10 in Kapan

Emil Lazarian

 18:33,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, ARMENPRESS. In the sidelines of the visit to Syunik region, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan familiarized himself with the renovation works of Kindergarten No. 10 in Kapan carried out within the framework of the subsidy program. the Prime Minister's Office said.

The number of students in the pre-school institution is 99, as a result of the renovation, attendance of about 140 students is planned. The total cost of the project is 293.8 million AMD, 80 percent of which was allocated by the Government. The two-story building was built in the 1980s. Under the project, repair works of the building were carried out: waterproofing, replacement of doors and windows, interior finishing, roof repair, installation of children's playground, fencing and beautification of the area.

Pobeda Airlines launches Gyumri-Sochi flights

Emil Lazarian

 09:52,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS Pobeda Airlines has launched direct flights from the Russian city of Sochi to Armenia’s Gyumri.

The roundtrip flights will be operated 4 times per week from Sochi International Airport to Shirak International Airport in Gyumri, Armenia International Airports said in a statement.