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

Investigative Committee provides details about Ashot Pashinyan’s abduction

Emil Lazarian

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 21:06,

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS. Urgent actions are being taken within the framework of the criminal proceedings initiated by the investigative department of the Yerevan city of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, in order to find out the circumstances of the apparent kidnapping of a person, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

“On , Ashot Pashinyan reported about crime, stating that on the same day, May 17, around 12:47, he was walking across the street in front of the Court of Appeals on G. Nzhdehi Street to G. Nzhdeh square. Parents of soldiers killed during the 2020 war were standing in the courtyard of the Court of Appeal. When he had passed about 50 meters from them, they approached him walking quickly.

Approaching Ashot Pashinyan, one of them introduced herself as the mother of the fallen soldier, offered to sit in her car parked nearby, so that they could talk quietly. When he got into the car, the said woman unexpectedly drove it, saying that they would go a little further so as not to be disturbed.

The woman started talking about the 2020 war, territorial and human losses. Seeing that the latter is behaving inappropriately, exceeding the speed, in violation of the traffic rules, Ashot Pashinyan demanded to stop the car so that he can get off. The mentioned woman said that her son was taken and killed without asking her, she has nothing to lose, she can kill him, so she takes him to Yerablur without asking, where she will decide whether to let him free or not, based on her emotions.

Arriving at the supermarket near the "Tsereteli" intersection, taking advantage of the fact that the woman slowed down the speed of the car, he quickly opened the front right door of the car and threw himself out during the process.

Seconds after that, when he was already standing, a white Toyota hit him. Turning around, he noticed that the driver and passengers of the said car were the other parents standing near the court. Based on his safety, he immediately entered the territory of the supermarket," the message states.

A criminal case has been initiated. The woman is arrested.

Asbarez: KTVU Fox Anchor Gasia Mikaelian to MC AMAA’s 104th Annual Meeting Banquet in San Francisco

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Community, Latest, Top Stories
MC Gasia Mikaelia


BY ELISE KALFAYAN

The Armenian Missionary Association of America 104th Annual Meeting Banquet, celebrating Armenian Evangelical education, will be held at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront on October 21 with Gasia Mikaelian, KTVU Fox TV News Anchor, as emcee.

From its founding in 1918, the AMAA has prioritized education that fosters Armenian Christian identity as part of its mission. Hundreds of Armenian Evangelical elementary, secondary, higher education, boarding, and theology schools were founded and thrived in the decades before the Armenian Genocide, offering a high-quality education to all Armenians, and to girls and women for the first time. Armenian Evangelical leaders in the United States and abroad committed themselves through the work of the AMAA to rebuilding schools for their nation in the years after the Genocide.

With its faithful benefactors, the AMAA opened elementary and secondary schools in the Near East throughout the 20th century, established Haigazian College (now Haigazian University) in Beirut, Lebanon in 1955, opened the K-8 Charlotte & Elise Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School in Los Angeles, CA in 1982, and established kindergartens in Armenia and Artsakh following the nation’s independence. With visionary benefactor Edward Avedisian and his family, the AMAA built the state-of-the-art, private, tuition-free, K-12 Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School and Community Center, which opened in Yerevan in 1998. Several graduates of the Avedisian School have now gone on to higher education and service to their country in prominent leadership and service roles.

“Education is the foundation of Armenians’ spiritual, emotional and practical lives: we are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of institution builders, teachers, and learners as we carry AMAA’s work well into the future,” said Gasia Mikaelian.

Haigazian University, Beirut, Lebanon

Mikaelian is a news anchor at KTVU FOX 2 News in Oakland. She grew up in the Bay Area and is one of 4 children. She is grateful to her parents, who instilled in her a deep love for the Armenian language, culture, and (of course) food. Through her work at KTVU, Mikaelian has been able to highlight much of the good work that’s happening in and by the Armenian American community. She is proud to work for a station that values and supports diversity in its newsroom and the larger community.

Mikaelian has reported live on everything from the North Bay wildfires to the Super Bowl. Some of her most fulfilling work came during the height of the COVID pandemic, in a series exploring the pandemic’s effect on mental health. After graduating with a journalism degree from San Diego State University, she started her career as a reporter at KSWT in Yuma, Arizona. She then reported and anchored at WAFF in Huntsville, Alabama, XETV in San Diego and KPRC in Houston before returning to the Bay Area in 2005 to join KTVU as anchor.

C & E Merdinian Armenian Evangelical School, Sherman Oaks, CA

Banquet Co-Chairs Roushig Kalebjian and Vana Khanjian Vartanian invited Mikaelian to emcee the Banquet, all sharing a commitment to education. “Growing up in an Armenian Evangelical household has played a significant role in shaping my educational journey. The emphasis on education and academic achievement, both within Evangelicalism and Armenian culture, created an environment that fostered and supported my passion for learning. As I reflect on my educational pursuits, I am grateful for the values instilled in me by my upbringing, and the positive impact they have had on my life,” said Kalebjian.

Vartanian’s sentiment is similar: “Having grown up in the Armenian Evangelical Church and community, I’ve seen and experienced first-hand how our educational initiatives have instilled strong moral and spiritual values.”

Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School, Yerevan, Armenia

“Our Armenian Evangelical schools have educated generations of leaders who value Armenian culture and uphold our Christian faith,” said AMAA Executive Director/CEO Zaven Khanjian. “I look forward to the AMAA’s 104th Annual Meeting Banquet at which we will honor Edward Avedisian posthumously and celebrate his beautiful vision realized in the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School, named in memory of his loving parents, and to joining our AMAA community in Celebrating Armenian Evangelical Education.”

For more information and to make your reservations, you may call AMAA headquarters at (201) 265-2607 or visit the AMAA website.

Founded in 1918, the Armenian Missionary Association of America serves the spiritual, educational, and social needs of Armenian communities in 24 countries around the world including Armenia and Artsakh.

Armenian American Medical Society Raises Funds for Artsakh as ‘Lifeline of Hope’ Campaign Kicks Off

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Artsakh, Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Representatives of the AAMS with event organizers and emcees at the gala on May 7


The Armenian American Medical Society and its dedicated community of members and supporters united on May 6 and 7 for a meaningful cause: to generate funds to procure essential life-saving medications and healthcare supplies for the people of Artsakh.

The weekend’s events, a Gala, and Telethon, launched an ongoing fundraising campaign, Lifeline of Hope. Nearly $300,000 has been raised so far between the Gala and the Telethon, the proceeds of which will be used to purchase medications and medical supplies for the Armenians in Artsakh. This campaign was spurred by Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin corridor, which has been rendered inaccessible since December 12, 2022. As a result, the 120,000 residents are isolated, without access to essential goods and services, including life-saving medication and healthcare.

“Our priority is to ensure the well-being of our people in a region that is presently landlocked and under blockade,” said Garni Barkhoudarian, MD, FAANS, president of AAMS. “Our aim is to provide the necessary support to maintain the health of Armenians in Artsakh. The more resources we can obtain, the longer we can sustain the availability of vital medications and medical supplies crucial for their survival.”

The first event of the weekend, the AAMS 38th Anniversary Gala, was held May 6, at the spectacular Jonathon Club in downtown Los Angeles. The gala drew 250 attendees.

AAMS Board members with honorees Dr. Armand Dorian (center left) and Dr. George Melikian (center right)

Armand Dorian, MD, MMM, FACEP, FACHE, and George Melikian, MD, MPH, both received the AAMS Lifetime Achievement Award for their significant contributions in assisting Armenia and Artsakh during the challenging times of COVID and the Second Artsakh War. Their remarkable efforts were recognized and celebrated as they shared inspiring words, emphasizing the importance of continued dedication and collaboration.

Elizabeth Zoryan, RN, BSN, PHN, AAMS Executive Committee member and secretary, and gala chair, offered the evening’s opening remarks and a somber reminder that the evening was about more than awards and recognition. “As we unite to honor our peers, we need to also reflect on the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh,” she noted. “The blockade has continued for nearly five months, cutting off our Armenian brothers and sisters from Armenia and the rest of the world. Through the generosity of our members and supporters, we can provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance. We can be their lifeline of hope.”

Emmy Award-nominated KTLA reporter Ellina Abovian presided over the gala as Mistress of Ceremonies. Ellina also co-hosted the Lifeline of Hope telethon, Sunday, May 7, sharing hosting duties with Vruyr Tadevosyan of Horizon Armenian TV and Armine Amiryan of USArmenia TV.

The televised fundraiser aired live for a total of 12 hours on Horizon Armenian TV, ARTN TV, and USArmenia TV. Members of the AAMS Executive Committee, AAMS members, and a host of local healthcare professionals rallied viewers throughout the day to support this worthy cause.

“The 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh this Sunday may not have electricity, fuel, or the security of knowing they can feed their family today, let alone tomorrow,” said AMIC President and AAMS executive board member Vicken Sepilian, MD, FACOG, during the telethon. “We are survivors of a genocide, but today, our brothers and sisters in Artsakh are still fighting to survive. We are here to send them the message, ‘We are here with you.’ We must speak out and provide them with aid so they know they are not alone.”

The fundraiser is ongoing and open for donations through the AAMS website, Paypal, and Venmo. With every contribution, we can make a world of difference in the lives of those affected by this crisis.

The AAMS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with over 500 members from around California whose practice areas cover the entire spectrum of allied healthcare. The AAMS is the largest Armenian medical society in the Diaspora. Its directory of practitioners is a vital resource for patients seeking care in various health-related disciplines and specialties. In addition, the AAMS is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Dental Board of California, ensuring that AAMS members maintain their competence in new medical knowledge through Continuing Medical Education activities to improve quality care for patients and their communities.

Armenia resumes construction of Kaps Reservoir after 30-year halt

Emil Lazarian

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 10:00,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The construction of the Kaps Reservoir in Armenia’s Shirak Province has commenced after a 30-year halt.

The €120,000,000 project envisages two stages – first, the construction of a reservoir with a capacity of 25 million cubic meters, and the second stage will increase the capacity to 60 million.

The Kaps Reservoir will be located 22 kilometers north of Gyumri, on the Akhuryan floodplains.

Authorities had planned its construction back in 1985 to provide irrigation water for over 30,000 hectares of land, but the project was halted in 1993 due to the worsening economic situation following the 1988 Spitak earthquake and the collapse of the USSR.

“Today marks the beginning of a very important and significant event for us,” Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “After many years of halt, the construction of Kaps Reservoir is finally commencing, and commissioning it will lead to key changes in the social and economic life,” he said, adding that the reservoir will become the required prerequisite for sustainable agriculture in many towns and villages.

Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan, foreign ambassadors and representatives of the contractors and financing organizations were also present at the event.

The first stage will allow saving 1,3 million kW⋅h of power annually by way of switching from manual to automatic irrigation. The projected power saving will reach 11 million kW⋅h under the second stage. Thousands of hectares of lands will be ensured with irrigation water as a result, leading to increased agricultural output.

Noting that the government attaches great importance to constructing reservoirs, Minister Sanosyan said that Kaps will save water, ensure irrigation of new areas, save electricity and also have positive impact in terms of tourism and other areas.

The project is implemented with the loan resources provided by KfW Development Bank and co-funding by the Armenian government. The contractor is the Chinese Shanxi Construction Investment Group Co.

The construction is planned to last three years.

Moreover, a new village is being built nearby because the reservoir’s area will encompass parts of the Jradzor village.

Organizers drop teaser “interesting surprises” for 2023 Pan-Armenian Games flame- lighting ceremony

Emil Lazarian

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 15:50,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Over 5000 participants from around the world are expected to gather in Armenia in August for the 8th Pan-Armenian Games.

Pan-Armenian Games World Committee President Ishkhan Zakaryan has said that “huge” organization work has already been done.

“This idea is of greater importance during such difficult times, Pan-Armenianness is important in such times,” Zakaryan told ARMENPRESS when asked on the appropriateness of holding the event in the challenging times. He said the idea of the games is unity and pan-Armenianness.

“We must not be afraid and assume responsibility in difficult times to do something good, something difficult and important,” he added, noting that the event is aimed at Armenian unity. “This is going to be a big celebration with deep layers.”

Asked on specificities and how the 8th Pan-Armenian Games will differ from the previous ones, Zakaryan said: “Of course there are differences. It will differ with the global situation, the regional situation, the blockade of Artsakh and other difficulties. Certainly, we could’ve done nothing. But we unanimously agreed that understanding all these difficulties, we must organize the 8th Pan-Armenian Games. This opinion was endorsed by the World Committee of the Pan-Armenian Games, the Armenian government launched a steering committee and the work began.”

He said that the upcoming event will feature an expanded geography.

“For example, we have fine communities in Central Asia who were not involved in the past. I visited central Asian countries, I met and negotiated with the local Armenians, we agreed to work together. I visited Moscow, where I had important meetings with the Russian minister of sports and the head of the department of sports of the Moscow government. I visited Minsk, I met with the Belarusian minister of sport, and I had detailed discussions with our ambassador. I visited Paris, Hamburg, Istanbul, Tehran. I am planning to visit Georgia and Arab countries soon. We will advance the work. I expect that Armenian communities from three or four countries that didn’t participate in the past will participate this time. While the total number of participants is expected to be over 5000.”

Zakaryan reiterated that the basis of the idea of holding Pan-Armenian Games, which was developed 25 years ago, was pan-Armenianness, strengthening of the Armenian world. The purpose of the games is to bring together Armenians from around the world, to preserve Armenian identity through a sports celebration.

The previous Pan-Armenian Games were held in Artsakh, which is currently blockaded.

Asked whether or not teams from Artsakh will be able to participate this year, Zakaryan said they are working on it. “We are thinking and working in this direction, let’s not get ahead. I can say one thing for sure, Artsakh will always be the core of pan-Armenianness, including the Pan-Armenian Games,” Zakaryan said.

The torch of the last Pan-Armenian Games was lit in historical Cilicia, on Musa Ler, in 2015 – the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, it was lit in Van, on Akhtamar island.

The Pan-Armenian Games World Committee President refused to reveal where the flame will be lit this year.

“I am getting asked this question a lot. I have one answer, wait for interesting surprises, or make haste slowly,” he said.

Armenia wins FIFA Forward Awards 2023

Emil Lazarian

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 16:49,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. The Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) project of mini pitches has been recognized as the best in Europe.

As announced during last year’s workshops in Paris and Doha, 2023 saw the introduction of the FIFA Forward Awards, an initiative created by the FIFA Europe Sub-division exclusively for European Member Associations and aimed at recognising and rewarding the best infrastructure projects carried out under the framework of the FIFA Forward Development programme.

For this inaugural edition, a total of 21 applications were accepted:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Faroe Islands, France, Georgia, Germany, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, San Marino, Scotland, Turkey and Wales.

A Jury panel composed of industry experts and football stakeholders including UEFA, FIFA, National Development Agencies and various consultancies comprehensively reviewed the materials submitted.

Armenia won the 1st place.

1st place: Armenia: Regional Grassroots Infrastructure development (89 artificial mini-pitches)

2nd place: Andorra: La Massana Sporting Center

3rd place: Moldova: Multi-purpose Beach Soccer Stadium

Armenpress: Speaker of the National Assembly of Artsakh proposes to the President to create a State Defense Committee

Emil Lazarian

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 20:54,

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Before the start of the regular session of the Artsakh National Assembly on May 18, Artsakh National Assembly Speaker Artur Tovmasyan made a statement addressed to the President of the Republic, in which he proposed to create a State Defense Committee and include Ruben Vardanyan and Samvel Babayan in it. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the National Assembly of Artsakh, the statement reads as follows,

"Dear compatriots,

I would like to address with an appeal, advice and request to the President of the Republic of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan.

You know, I also said during the last rally that I participated in all the rallies to which I was invited.

Mr. President, I have never interfered in your affairs, and you in the affairs of the National Assembly. I proposed a model that is as follows: we need not an amorphous body, but a body that saved us in the 90s – the State Defense Committee. I proposed to the President of the country to include two people in this body – Ruben Vardanyan and Samvel Babayan. I don't know their opinion, maybe they won't agree.

Why? Don't ask.

Mr. President, if this model doesn't work, I might hurt someone for the first time.

Submit your resignation, Mr. President, or hold a referendum on confidence. If the people do not believe that you have been elected, then you will have to leave. However, this does not mean that in the event of your resignation, Artur Tovmasyan will act as president of the republic.

If it turns out that the people do not trust you, then I will also leave.”

Turkish Press: Armenia used UAVs to drop shells on Azerbaijani military positions in East Zangezur

Emil Lazarian
Turkey –
16:18 . 18/05/2023 Thursday
AA

Azerbaijan said on Thursday that Armenia used combat drones against its military positions in the East Zangezur economic region.


“On May 18, at about 07:15 (0315GMT), the Armenian armed forces used combat UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) at several positions of the Azerbaijani Army deployed in the direction of the Yellija settlement of the Kalbajar district,” the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.


The remains of "projectiles made in a handicraft manner" and dropped by UAVs were found during inspections of the attacked area, it said, adding that Azerbaijan suffered no casualties and that retaliatory measures are being taken.


“We inform that the Armenian military-political leadership bears the entire responsibility for the tension created in the region,” the statement concluded.


Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.


Most of the territory was liberated by Baku during a war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement and also opened the door to normalization.


Tensions between the neighboring countries increased in recent months over the Lachin corridor, the only land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh.

Turkish Press: Armenian premier’s son escapes kidnapping attempt by mother of soldier killed in 2nd Karabakh war

Emil Lazarian
Turkey –
17:09 . 18/05/2023 Thursday
AA

An attempt has been made in Armenia to kidnap the son of the country's prime minister, with a grieving mother whose son was killed in a 2020 war with Azerbaijan allegedly behind the plot, local media has reported.


A woman claiming to be the mother of a soldier who died in the war over the Karabakh region, allegedly lured Ashot Pashinyan, son of Premier Nikol Pashinyan, into her car for a conversation in the capital Yerevan, according to a Wednesday report by the state-run Armenpress news agency, which cited the Investigative Committee of Armenia.


Pashinyan said that while in the vehicle, the woman told him about her son and that he had been taken to fight in the war without her consent, as she accelerated the car past the legal speed limit.


The woman reportedly expressed her desperation to Pashinyan, saying she had nothing to left to lose and intended to take him to the Yerablur Military Memorial Cemetery on the outskirts of the city, where she would decide whether or not to kill him.


Pashinyan recounted that he was able leap out of the vehicle's front seat as soon as the woman slowed down at an intersection but was hit seconds later by a vehicle driven by other parents of soldiers killed in the war.


He was able to escape the ordeal with light injuries, fleeing into a nearby supermarket, the report said, adding that the woman was later arrested and criminal proceedings launched on the matter.


In the fall of 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a 44-day war that ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement that opened the door to normalization.


Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when Armenia occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent regions.