Author: Emil Lazarian

 09:58,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. On June 7 the presidency of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia elected Arsen Bobokhyan Director of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography. Arsen Bobokhyan has been working in the Institute since 1998. He has published 208 academic articles, 9 books. In an interview to ARMENPRESS, Mr. Bobokhyan told about the future plans and shared his concerns connected with the field.

The excavation period has already started in the Republic. Bobokhyan said that excavations are carried out in monuments of all ages, starting from the Stone Age to the Middle Age. “Currently, different excavations are taking place in monuments of stone age (Aghitu), bronze and iron ages (Karnut, Solak), ancient (Artashat), medieval (Tavush, Aruch). The excavations will intensify in the second half of July and especially in August (Dvin, Dashtadem, Artanish, etc). More than 20 expeditions will work this year, most of them are international. All monuments are important and could give an unexpected result”, he said.

Arsen Bobokhyan notes that archaeology of the 21^st century is oriented not by findings, but by the excavation process. “Therefore, the excavations that are done methodically correctly are valuable. There are excavations which do not have outstanding findings, but they are carried out in such detail and care, that they could be considered highly effective. I highly value all excavations carried out by the Institute, there are just some excavations of a sensational nature. The tomb that was accidentally opened in Shahumyan village last year was like that, it dates back to 2800-2600 BC, and the bulk material with hundreds of metal objects and pottery is exclusive in its significance not only in regional context”, he said.

He informed that the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography carries out a lot of excavations, but the existing space is not enough for preserving that materials. “Now we are trying to give the findings of old excavations to museums, make a free space in the Institute, but the area is not enough again. The processing of archaeological material lasts long and archaeologists, including me, fail to do it quickly. Years are passing and we do not manage to repay our debts. But in case of existence of a space and opportunities, that process would have been gone faster. We have been promised to be provided with at least one or two floors in the building of the library of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia in order to transfer the Institute’s laboratories there. We are looking forward to that day”, he said.

As for the funding to the excavations, he said that the government provides them with respective funding, but they also have extra-budgetary programs provided by the Science Committee. “Foreign expeditions also make some investments. In particular, we have Armenian-American, Armenian-French, Armenian-Italian, Armenian-Israeli, Armenian-German and other expeditions”, he noted.

Asked how many archaeological sites of Artsakh have become under the control of Azerbaijan as a result of the 2020 war, and what is the Institute going to do for them, Arsen Bobokhyan said: “There are many lost ancient sites. We have a group of Artsakh in the Institute, which has created a website about the monitoring of Karabakh monuments in cooperation with American archaeologists. The presentation of the website will take place soon in the National Academy of Sciences. Quantitative data will be presented there. The main excavations in Artsakh were in Tigranakert, however, archaeological activities were also being carried out in other sites as Azokhi and Mirik. Several new books dedicated to various issues of Artsakh’s ancient and medieval culture have been published by the Institute recently and will be published.

He also talked about the fate of the findings from Artsakh’s monuments that were saved. “The material of Tigranakert has been mostly brought to Armenia. Many materials in Shushi Museum have been left. However, it was possible to evacuate and exhibit some materials, particularly some values from Shushi were displayed at the Erebuni Museum. Of course, there has been a major loss in cultural values. But this is not something new for our history. We are like a pottery that is constantly being broken and recovered”, he added.

The full version of the interview is available in Armenian.

Interview by Ani Danielyan

Photos by Hayk Badalyan

 10:01,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. The U.S. House passed four Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)-backed amendments demanding Baku’s release of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs), calling for investigations into Azerbaijani war crimes, reporting on the impact of U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, and placing restrictions on the sale of F-16s to Turkey, ANCA reports.

Three of the measures were adopted as part of larger groupings, or blocs, of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA – H.R.7900). The fourth, placing restrictions on F-16 sales to Turkey, passed by a vote of 244 to 179, withstanding powerful opposition from pro-Erdogan lobbyists during final days of consideration of the measure. The U.S. House is expected to pass the underlying NDAA measure later Thursday evening.

“The ANCA thanks the Congressional leaders, coalition partners, and tens of thousands of ANCA activists from across the United States who made today’s victories possible,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian. “Working together – against deeply entrenched and powerfully vested interests – we are helping to protect Artsakh, promote Armenia, hold Azerbaijan accountable, and stop the flow of U.S. arms to Turkey.”

The four pro-Artsakh/Armenia amendments adopted by the U.S. House are provided below:

Amendment #121: Spearheaded by Representatives Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA), the amendment calls for a report by the State Department and Defense Department that would detail the use of U.S. parts in Turkish drones used by Azerbaijan against Armenia and Artsakh; Azerbaijan’s use of white phosphorous, cluster bombs and other prohibited munitions deployed against Artsakh; Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters during the 2020 Artsakh war.

The amendment was adopted by voice vote as part of “en bloc 1” – a larger grouping of amendments to (H.R.7900)

Joining Representatives Tony Cardenas, Brad Sherman, and Adam Schiff (D-CA) as Congressional cosponsors of the bipartisan amendment include Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

Amendment #611: Introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the amendment expresses the sense of Congress that the government of Azerbaijan should immediately return all Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians. The amendment was adopted by voice vote as part of “en bloc 5” – a larger grouping of amendments to H.R.7900.

Joining Rep. Schiff as Congressional cosponsors of the bipartisan amendment include Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Andy Levin (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

Amendment #337: Introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), the amendment directs the U.S. Department of State in coordination with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to:

1) document the State Department’s consideration of all waiver requirements of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act

2) report on whether U.S. security assistance to the government of Azerbaijan undermines efforts toward a peaceful settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and

3) provide an assessment of Azerbaijan’s use of offensive force against Armenia or violations of Armenian sovereign territory from November 11, 2020, to the date of the enactment of this Act.

In powerful remarks on the House floor, Rep. Frank Pallone condemned the annual U.S. presidential waiver of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan and urged passage of the amendment. “We don’t believe that there is any justification for waiving [Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act] because of the constant threat that Azerbaijan poses not only to Nagorno Karabakh but also to Armenia itself, that continues ever since [the 2020] war.”

The amendment was adopted as part of “en bloc 3” – a larger grouping of amendments to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.7900) – by a vote of 362 to 64.

Joining Rep. Speier as congressional cosponsors of the bi-partisan measure include Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), James Langevin (D-RI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and David Valadao (R-CA).

Amendment #399: Led by Representatives Frank Pallone, Chris Pappas (D-NH), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), the amendment places conditions upon the sale or transfer of F-16s or F-16 modernization kits to Turkey.

Rep. Pallone rallied Congressional support for the amendment during floor debate prior to the vote. “The sale of American advanced fighter jets to Turkey will not incentivize Erdogan to suddenly transform into a good ally. More likely these weapons will lead to further death and destruction in the region. For far too long the United States has allowed Erdogan to dictate his terms and hide behind Turkey’s status as a NATO ally. He has avoided facing real-life consequences greater than a slap on the wrist for his flagrant violations of international law at home and abroad and it’s time we finally say enough is enough. This amendment will do just that and help take the leveraging power out of Erdogan’s dangerous autocratic hands,” argued Pallone.

Former Congressional Turkey Caucus Co-Chair Pete Sessions’ (D-TX) arguments – calling Erdogan a “reliable ally,” citing Committee jurisdictional issues, and questioning whether Turkey really violates Greek airspace – fell flat.

The measure was adopted by a bipartisan vote of 244 to 179.

 15:00,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Around 220 people on average seek asylum in Armenia every year. And as Armenia has always given a priority to human rights, it seeks to provide proper solutions meeting international standards to the issues of refugees and migrants. For this purpose, the Armenian state agencies have initiated reforms of refugee and asylum system with the support of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the European Union.

Today, a meeting was held in Yerevan between the Migration Service of Armenia, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the structures interested in the comprehensive reforms of migration protection legislation.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Head of the Migration Service, the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Human Rights Defender, the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, acting representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as well as representatives of judiciary, state structures, international organizations and civil society.

In his remarks Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Vache Terteryan said that these reforms will be implemented within the frames of the two-year program that launched in February 2022, which in its turn is in accordance with the agenda of reforms being implemented under the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and is aimed at creating a system for ensuring resident and rights of migrants and refugees. According to Mr. Terteryan, this is a key political challenge for Armenia because the country has always accepted the priority of the rule of law.

“This is really a very important start. I think it is logical to address the situation from time to time after experimenting our legal regulations and working in a real life, as well as to analyze the strong and weak sides, and depending on the next milestone of our country’s economic, political, public organization and development to also make reforms and corrections in the regulations of an important sector such as those connected with the asylum of refugees and migrants and its related issues”, he said.

Deputy Justice Minister of Armenia Arpine Sargsyan added that the planning of institutional, proper changes in the field of migration and migration management is a high priority, in the person of the upcoming Minister of Interior, that will come to help solve all the problems existing in migration sector and among refugees and asylum-seekers.

She also thanked the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and the UN Refugee Agency for organizing this event, as well as the international partners for paying attention to the issues relating to refugees and asylum-seekers.

Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin also highlighted the meeting, stating that the European Union decisively supports the Armenian government’s initiative to strengthen the migration system. She said that these reforms are in accordance with the commitments of the sides assumed within the frames of CEPA.

 17:23,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian presented US President Joe Biden with a plate and a pomegranate made of Armenian terracotta, Chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Koryun Baghdasaryan said on social media.

Earlier he said that the US President visited the Armenian Church of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.

During the talk with the US President, the Armenian Patriarch thanked him for recognizing the Armenian Genocide and discussed other topics as well.

 18:15,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. On July 15, a meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani experts took place in Moscow with the support of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Russian MFA and the Russian International Affairs Council.

ARMENPRESS reports, citing Interfax, the meeting was opened by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Andrey Rudenko.

A number of issues of the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations were discussed at the meeting on the basis of the trilateral agreements between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia of November 9, 2020, January 11 and November 26,2021, including issues of unblocking regional transport communications, border delimitation issues, prospect for peace treaty negotiations, as well as humanitarian issues and the possible steps to build confidence between the sides. There was also a discussion about the role and importance of expert dialogue in the process of normalization of relations between the two countries. The participants agreed to continue contacts and joint work within the trilateral expert platform “Dialogue for Peace”.

 19:06,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to Cyprus Tigran Mkrtchyan met in Nicosia (residence in Athens) with the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Diaspora Affairs of the President of the Republic of Cyprus Fotis Fotiou, ARMENPRESS reports the Embassy of Armenia in Greece informed on its “Facebook” page.

Welcoming Fotis Fotiou, Ambassador Mkrtchyan referred to the brotherly and long-standing relations between the two countries, noting that the two peoples are united by a common history, value system, and challenges.

The Ambassador emphasized the cooperation between the two countries on the issues related to the Diaspora, highlighting both Armenia-Cyprus bilateral and Armenia-Cyprus-Greece trilateral cooperation. Ambassador Mkrtchyan also emphasized the importance of the memorandum of cooperation in trilateral format signed in Patras, Greece on June 24 and the need to consistently implement its provisions.

The Cypriot official noted that the three countries have quite functional and active communities in different corners of the world, each fully integrated in their countries of residence with organized structures, adding that it is extremely important to use the existing potential of the diaspora for presenting common agendas, implementing common goals and interests.

During the meeting, Ambassador Mkrtchyan particularly emphasized the role of the Armenian Cypriot community in promoting Armenian-Cypriot relations and strengthening them even more. In that context, Ambassador Mkrtchyan emphasized the invaluable role and contribution of Vardges Mahtesyan, the state representative of the Armenian Cypriot community in the House of Representatives of Cyprus, who was present at the meeting.

 21:32,

YEREVAN, JULY 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the solemn event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Border Guard Troops of the National Security Service. Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, Director of National Security Service Armen Abazyan, Chief of Police Vahe Ghazaryan were also present at the event, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Pashinyan congratulated all the servicemen on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Border Guard Troops and noted, “In general, as in any country, the border guard troops in the Republic of Armenia are considered part of the Armed Forces. During the entire history of the Third Republic, the border guard troops contributed to the protection of the territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Armenia and together with the army fulfilled the tasks that were set before the army. But I want to emphasize that purely in terms of the idea, the concept, the border guard troops are generally the symbol of peace, because the borders, the protection of which is entrusted to the border guard troops, are usually considered peaceful borders. Because it is assumed that a friendship or peace treaty has been concluded with the states located in the direction of those borders, and this is a very important circumstance to record.

The border guard troops, in fact, since their formation, have not always and not everywhere acted according to the logic of this function. We bow our heads and pay our respects to the border guards who died protecting the Motherland. But I want to emphasize again that the logic of our policy is that we want all the borders of the Republic of Armenia, without exception, to be handed over to the control of the border guard troops, and the army units to return to their permanent locations. And this is exactly what we mean in the logic of the Armed Forces when we say peace agenda, this is exactly what we mean when we announce that the Armenian Government has adopted a peace agenda.

Of course, we understand the complications facing this process. There are a lot of discussions that yes, we need peace, but not at any cost. In general, one does not need anything at any cost, because everything has a price, and peace can be achieved not at the cost of everything, not at any cost, but at the cost of peace itself.

I am saying all this on this occasion to emphasize the direction and desire of our policy, but also to record that we still have a long way to go to achieve this goal, a very difficult and complicated way.

Unfortunately, the security challenges facing our country are not only unresolved, but remain concerning. All of us, first of all the country’s political leadership, must work to ensure peace and stability along our country’s borders.

By and large, our strategic goal is to hand over all the borders of the Republic of Armenia to border guards so that they can perform their special functions: border protection, which includes the fight against illegal migration, the fight against illegal border crossings, the fight against illegal activities, fight against drug trafficking, etc.

I consider it important to emphasize this context in relation to the service of the border guard troops. But right now, talking about our vision for the future, I want to emphasize this day and the past. We should once again pay our respects to all the border guard troops who fell for the sake of the Motherland and the future.

I would like to thank all of you for your service during this time, for that you carry shoulder marks on behalf of the Republic of Armenia and the people of Armenia. I want to thank your family members, because your service brings with it difficulties also for your families. I would like to wish success to all the border guard troops of the Republic of Armenia, to all of us, the Republic of Armenia, in fulfilling our mission. And we have only one mission: to ensure the safe, prosperous development and future of the Republic of Armenia, to ensure the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, to guarantee that the Republic of Armenia as an independent state will be handed down from generation to generation to the proud and dignified citizens of the Republic of Armenia.

Congratulations once again, thank you for your service”.

The Prime Minister presented state awards for the bravery and dedication shown in defending the borders of the Motherland. Captain Hrant Arzumanyan was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor, Sergeant Karen Sargsyan was posthumously awarded the Medal for Combat Service. The Prime Minister handed over the awards to their relatives.

Nikol Pashinyan presented Medals for Combat Service to lieutenant colonel Vahan Hambardzumyan and captain Vladimir Tumasyan.

Prime Minister Pashinyan also laid flowers at the khachkar dedicated to the memory of border guards who fell for the Motherland, paying tribute to their memory.