20:06,
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in Bolu province in the north-west of Turkey, ARMENPRESS reports, citing Turkish “Anadolu” agency.
According to a source, the Turkish government’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) reported that the tremors were recorded at 13:55 local time.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Bolu, the epicenter was at a depth of 8.13 km.
FORT LEE and MONTVALE, NJ — On Saturday, April 15 at 2:00 pm, the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New Jersey and the Armenian Youth Federation-Youth Organization of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (AYF-YOARF) New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter will host their annual Armenian flag raising ceremony at Fort Lee Borough Hall.
Fort Lee Mayor Mark J. Sokolich will present a proclamation.
The annual Armenian flag raising ceremony is held in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide and in remembrance of the martyrs who perished at the hands of the Ottoman Turks 108 years ago on April 24, 1915. The commemoration will also acknowledge that the Armenian people face a continual threat of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and honor those whose live were taken as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression and in 2020.
There is, today, an immediate danger of genocide threatening the women, children, elderly and disabled Armenian population in Artsakh. Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has illegally blockaded the Berdzor (Lachin) corridor, which is the only lifeline connecting Artsakh to the outside world. For over 90 days, the 120,000 indigenous Armenians of Artsakh have been held hostage with no access to food, medicine and other vital necessities. Azerbaijan cut off Artsakh’s access to gas and electricity for several days at a time, in sub-zero temperatures. These actions culminate to further the goal of unrepentant genocide perpetrators.
The event will include participation from the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Eastern USA “Agnouni,” Bergen County “Armenouhi” and “Shakeh” Chapters, Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society of NJ, Homenetmen of New Jersey and Nareg Armenian School.
The following week, on Saturday, April 22 at 4:00 pm, the ANC of NJ will host its annual Armenian Genocide commemoration event at the Genocide Memorial at Huff Pond in Montvale, New Jersey.
12:36,
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is concerned that thus far the international mechanism envisaged under clause 7 of the 9 November 2020 trilateral statement hasn’t been initiated, PM Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting.
Clause 7 of the agreement provides for the return of internally displaced persons and refugees to Nagorno Karabakh and adjacent regions under the supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
“This means that international mechanisms for return to Nagorno Karabakh’s Hadrut region, Shushi, Martuni and Martakert regions, Shahumyan region, Getashen, Lachin and other adjacent regions of Nagorno Karabakh must be initiated. And I have instructed the foreign ministry to start official negotiations with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees over this topic,” the PM said.
He added that Armenians who’ve been subjected to ethnic cleansing in Azerbaijan’s Baku, Shirvan, Sumgait, Kirovabad, Khanlar, Shamkhor, Nakhijevan and other regions are complaining about lack of government action for their return.
“The problem is that clause 7 of the November 9 statement concerns only refugees of Nagorno Karabakh and the adjacent regions, but of course this is not an obstruction for the Armenians who’ve been subjected to ethnic cleansing in Baku, Shirvan, Sumgait, Kirovabad, Khanlar, Shamkhor, Nakhijevan and other Azerbaijani regions to self-organize and protect their rights to property, return and other rights in international courts,” Pashinyan said.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Armenian Genocide Research Program at The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA, the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide at LMU Loyola Law School, and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) are presenting a conference pertaining to Armenian Genocide restitution.
Titled “What’s Next?: Armenian Genocide Restitution in the Post-Recognition Era,” this historic conference will be held in UCLA’s Mong Learning Center (Engineering VI Building) on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
“If every genocide has its own peculiar character and afterlife, the afterlife of the Armenian Genocide has been the long-standing denial of its existence by successive Turkish governments. It has been of great importance for Armenians worldwide that the great catastrophe they experienced during and after World War I be recognized as what it was: genocide,” stated Dr. Taner Akçam, director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) at the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA.
“Through our one-day conference, we will explore questions such as: what are the possibilities of creating an Armenian Genocide reparation movement post-recognition by President Biden and Congress in 2021? What opportunities does the American legal system offer for reparation? Can the Holocaust restitution movement serve as a model for the Armenian Genocide?” Dr. Akçam noted.
The first session will feature Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat as the opening keynote speaker, who will discuss his critical efforts during the Clinton administration and those of several successive US administrations in achieving some measure of justice for the post-Holocaust restitution movement.
The conference will then host panels examining past efforts at Armenian Genocide restitution through litigation and goodwill settlements, as well as the current landscape concerning looted art from the genocidal period and future avenues for redress.
Pre-registration is required for this hybrid event, which will offer remote online participation. The program starts at 8:45 a.m. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. PST. Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person participants.
This conference is co-sponsored by the Armenian Bar Association, the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law and the Ararat-Eskijian Museum.
The (AGRP) was established within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Dr. Akçam, the AGRP engages in research and scholarly activities pertaining to the study of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century.
WASHINGTON, DC — The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is proud to announce the annual launch of the Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship (LSI) and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship, with an application deadline of April 15, for university students interested in advancing Armenian American policy priorities and gaining firsthand experience in federal-level advocacy.
The six-week in-person program, which will run from June 12 to July 21, 2023, provides a unique opportunity for participants to learn all things advocacy, communications and public policy. The LSI program is an integral part of a growing effort to provide Armenian Americans greater opportunities to explore careers on Capitol Hill, in the US Foreign Service and key Washington, DC foreign policy think tanks. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by April 15, 2023.
“The ANCA’s Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship are more than just your average internships – they’re immersive and unique experiences that empower young Armenian Americans to grow personally and professionally. Through our program, participants gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to become leaders and make a real impact in their communities and beyond,” said ANCA Youth Programs associate director Tatevik Khachatryan.
The participants work on a wide variety of projects based on their individual interests while gaining hands-on experiences within the American political system. A bi-weekly lecture series features guest lecturers, including members of Congress, ambassadors and Armenian-American leaders. Not only are they presented with lectures, but they will also have the opportunity to engage and network with the ANCA’s vast network of Armenian American professionals from the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway alumni and LSI alumni still residing in the DC area.
During the six-week Washington, DC program, interns live at the Aramian House, named in honor of the late community leader and philanthropist Martha Aramian of Providence, Rhode Island, and located a short distance from the ANCA’s Washington, DC headquarters.
“For many, it is an essential leadership training experience preparing them to advance priorities on campuses and communities nationwide,” added Khachatryan.
The ANCA LSI and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan fellowship are an integral part of the ANCA’s youth empowerment and professional development efforts, including the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program, which helps university students and graduates find internships and permanent positions in Congressional offices, as well as a host of other government agencies and policy groups. The ANCA also hosts the Rising Leaders career development and civic engagement program for university students and the Haroutioun and Elizabeth Kasparian Summer academy for high school students.
Established in 1986 and named after the ANCA Eastern US leader Leo Sarkisian, a pioneer of ANCA grassroots advocacy, the LSI program is a cornerstone of the ANCA’s nationwide efforts to educate, motivate and activate Armenian American youth to expand advocacy efforts in their hometowns and campuses. It was augmented in 2019 with the establishment of the Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship, established as a living legacy to a devoted youth leader whose community activism and commitment to the Armenian homeland continue to inspire new generations of young Armenian Americans.
In addition to opportunities in Washington, DC, the ANCA Western Region and ANCA Eastern Region offer internships and fellowships in Los Angeles, Sacramento and virtually throughout the East Coast.
WHAT
The Armenian American Museum and Cultural Center of California will be hosting the highly anticipated Elevate Gala on Sunday, March 19, 2023. The signature event of the year is anticipated to welcome a capacity audience with donors, supporters, corporate partners, community leaders, and elected leaders at the Fairmont Century Plaza.
The Elevate Gala will celebrate the completion of the first phase of construction featuring the museum parking garage and building foundation and mark the next exciting chapter for the Armenian American Museum as the landmark center is elevated to the horizon as a destination for education, enrichment, and inspiration for generations to come.
WHEN
Sunday, March 19, 2023
4:30PM Reception
6:00PM Program
8:00PM Conclusion
WHERE
Fairmont Century Plaza
2025 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
WHY
The Armenian American Museum is a world-class educational and cultural institution that is currently under construction on the museum campus at Glendale Central Park. The museum will offer a wide range of public programming through the Permanent Exhibition, Temporary Exhibitions, Auditorium, Learning Center, Demonstration Kitchen, Archives Center, and more.
The mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Armenian American experience. The vision is a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity and speak out against prejudice.
MEDIA CONTACT
Arsine Torosyan
Communications Director
(818) 644-2215
[email protected]
Learn more about the Armenian American Museum at ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org.
11:45,
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. A proposal to erect a statue of Charles Aznavour has been passed by the Yerevan City Council.
Charles Aznavour, the world-famous French-Armenian singer, died in 2018 at the age of 94. Aznavour sold more than 100 million records in 80 countries.
A square in central Yerevan was named after him in 2001. In 2004, Aznavour received the title of National Hero of Armenia – the country’s highest state award – in recognition of his support for his homeland.
Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Tigran Avinyan told city councilors on March 15 that ahead of the legendary crooner’s 100th anniversary of birth the Aznavour Foundation proposed to install his statue in Yerevan. Avinyan said the central part of France Square in downtown Yerevan – where the Jules Bastien-Lepage statue by Auguste Rodin is currently standing – has been chosen as the location for the statue of Aznavour. Avinyan said the location was selected given that city authorities already had plans to move the Jules Bastien-Lepage statue closer to the sidewalk for passersby to have a better view.
Avinyan said that by installing the Aznavour statue the city will “properly appreciate, value and promote the world famous Armenian artist, great humanitarian and public figure’s creative heritage and eternalize his memory.”
The motion was adopted by the city council unanimously.
13:42,
YEREVAN, MARCH 15, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan revealed on Wednesday the types of armaments and equipment that the Armenian military recently acquired.
“The [arsenal] of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia was replenished with various types of unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-tank measures, air defense measures and modernized systems , tracked and wheeled engineering equipment, de-mining equipment, camouflage nets, communication equipment, optical devices, grenade launchers, various types of ammunition and other types of munitions and military equipment measures, which I will not disclose here publicly,” Papikyan told lawmakers at the Defense and Security Affairs Committee hearing on the Government Program’s 2022 performance report.
17:11,
YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is ready for a trilateral foreign ministerial meeting with Russia and Azerbaijan and soon the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs will visit Moscow to discuss the matter, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference when asked on the possibility of such meeting.
“Armenia is ready for that, I talked about it with the Russian President yesterday as well. The Foreign Minister’s visit to Moscow is expected soon, where it will be discussed…,” Pashinyan said.
He said that Armenia postponed the foreign ministerial meeting which was expected earlier not as a sign of boycott, but because of the acute crisis. “That situation required the minister to be in Yerevan. We’ve not rejected the meeting, that situation required the minister to be in Yerevan. We’ve said that the meeting hasn’t been cancelled, and we are ready for the meeting.”
19:09,
YERERVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS. International mechanisms should be created to guarantee the rights and security of the NK population, ARMENPRESS reports, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO Secretary General, the founding chairman of the international political consulting organization Rasmussen Global, told the journalists.
“We must do everything to reach a lasting and just peace treaty. A very important element in that agreement should be the guarantee of the rights and security of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. And to guarantee these rights and security, we must have international mechanisms that will monitor, control and guarantee them,” he said.
Referring to Armenia-EU relations, Rasmussen mentioned that they would like to cooperate very closely with the Armenian government.
“It will be a broad cooperation that will touch on broad topics. Naturally, we are talking about political support from the EU. I think that it is very necessary now that we raise awareness that there is a humanitarian crisis in NK. And the international community should put maximum pressure on Azerbaijan to resolve this issue,” he said.
He emphasized that they want to support the Armenian government to raise the dialogue with the EU to an even higher level, which will also include a dialogue on security policy.
“The EU has a wide range of tools that can be useful to Armenia. I think that Armenia needs even more international partners than it has today,” he said, noting that military cooperation with Armenia was not discussed in detail.
In conclusion, Anders Fogh Rasmussen noted that the EU has a European peace system, which can also be a framework for cooperation between Armenia and the EU.