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

Asbarez: Yerevan Ready to Sign Non-Aggression Pact with Azerbaijan

Emil Lazarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan addresses the UN Disarmament Conference in Geneva on Feb. 27


Accuses Baku of Disregarding Human Rights Norms and Stoking Conflict

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Tuesday said that Armenia is ready to sign an non-aggression pact with Azerbaijan before the ratification of a peace treaty, talks for which are scheduled later this week in Berlin. He also accused Baku of disregarding international human rights norms and continuing the fan the flames of conflict.

Speaking at the annual United Nations Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Mirzoyan proposed to sign a bilateral arms control mechanism and non-aggression pact ahead of the peace treaty “in case the signing of the latter requires additional time to reach a consensus.”

“Armenia is well familiar with the devastating impact of conflict, having experienced the tragic consequences of wars in our recent history. This painful past motivates us to persistently advocate for peaceful resolution of conflicts, prevention of the use or threat of force, uncontrolled and mass acquisition of weaponry and disarmament,” Mirzoyan said.

“The erosion of the arms control regimes does not happen in a vacuum. It is usually a consequence of years-long noncompliance to the main treaties and documents, as well as the negligence of such crucial principles of the UN Charter as the non-use of force or threat of use of force and the maintenance of international peace and security and good-neighborly relations. The international failures of identifying early warning signs of such violations usually evolve into bloody conflicts and hostilities,” the foreign minister added.

He emphasized that continued disregard for international norms led to the 2020 Artsakh War, and continued as Azerbaijan invaded Armenia’s sovereign territory, and, finally in September of last year launched an attack on Artsakh that forced the Armenian population there to flee to Armenia. Mirzoyan accused Azerbaijan of an ethnic cleansing campaign that went generally unpunished by the international community.

“We have proposed simultaneous withdrawal of troops from the Armenia-Azerbaijan interstate border, with further demilitarization of the bordering areas. Armenia also is proposing to sign a bilateral arms control mechanism and non-aggression pact ahead of the peace treaty in case the signing of the latter requires additional time to reach a consensus. Despite the fact that all these proposals have so far been ignored or rejected by Azerbaijan, we are determined to continue our efforts,” Mirzoyan said.

He also spoke at the United Nations Human Rights Council, where he accused Azerbaijan of violating international norms and also derided world leaders for failing to properly condemn the Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia and Artsakh.

“We have been witnessing such a policy of Azerbaijan since the 80s of last century. In fact, today, we commemorate the victims of Sumgait pogroms. Together with similar acts in Baku, Kirovabad and other Armenian-populated cities of Azerbaijan, around 360 thousand Armenians were forced to flee their homes, deprived of all their rights, including the right to property, and find refuge in Armenia. Earlier, due to the same-style implemented policy, Armenians left their homes in Nakhichevan,” Mirzoyan told the UN HRC.

“In the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, there was no shortage of early warning signs of the looming atrocities. The list includes statements from the UN Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Orders of ICJ, public communications of UN Special Procedure Mandate Holders,” explained Mirzoyan.
“However, this was not enough for the international community, and I quote the Secretary General again, ‘to stand on the right side of history, to stand up for human rights.’ Approximately 145.000 people were forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and relocated to Armenia between 2020 and 2023,” he emphasized.

“There are more than thousand missing persons and enforced disappearances on the Armenian side from the wars of the 1990s and 2020. We have 23 prisoners of war and other detainees in Azerbaijan. We have an immense risk of destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage that the UN Special Rapporteur has recently warned: ‘may amount to cultural cleansing,’” Mirzoyan pointed out.

“There is continuous bellicose rhetoric and military escalation provoked by Azerbaijan following earlier incursions into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. The impunity of the illegal use of force resulted in new territorial claims against Armenia. Nowadays, the whole territory of the Republic of Armenia is presented as so-called ‘Western Azerbaijan,’ which was invented with a pure intention to keep tension in the region,” he added, underscoring that February 27 marked the beginning of the 1988 Azerbaijani pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait.

Ararat-Eskijian Museum Research Center and UCLA’s Armenian Genocide Research Program launch Dadrian Archive Project

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Announcements 0

The Ararat-Eskijian Museum Research Center (AEMRC) and the Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA are proud to announce the launch of the Vahakn N. Dadrian Archive Project.

Professor Vahakn N. Dadrian (1926–2019) was a preeminent scholar of the Armenian Genocide and instrumental in establishing the larger field of genocide studies. He lectured and published widely in the field, leading to greater international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. His unique collection of archival materials and books is of extraordinary value to those researching the origins of the Armenian Genocide, the Genocide itself and its aftermath.

Throughout his long career, Professor Dadrian accumulated a wealth of material on the Armenian Genocide throughout the different archives in the world, American, British, German, French Armenian and Ottoman among them. His archive also has numerous unpublished manuscripts and newspapers from various languages. Before his death, he transferred these materials to the AEMRC. The Vahakn Dadrian Armenian Genocide Book Collection is now housed in The Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library located at the University of Southern California.

Professor Vahakn N. Dadrian

After a gradual process of herculean efforts and numerous trips across the nation transporting Professor Dadrian’s archives, the AEMRC initiated a project in 2009 to digitize his personal notes and archives of historical documents and make them available for future generations of researchers interested in furthering their knowledge of Armenian Genocide Studies and general genocide studies.

A total of 28,000 pages out of a total of 110,000 pages were digitized and indexed by 2018. It took two years to appropriately preserve the entire archive collection in special folders and boxes. This full archive has been available to scholars and researchers by in-person appointment only at the AEMRC. Due to a large grant received in 2023, we will be resuming the continuation of digitization and indexing of the remaining 80,000 pages.

Prof. Vahakn N. Dadrian’s collection of archival materials and books

We are also in the important process of facilitating the accessibility of the digitized collection, particularly to make it searchable through keywords for researchers. Dr. Anna Aleksanyan, a postgraduate student from Clark University, has been involved in these efforts. Dr. Aleksanyan is also currently on fellowship with the AGRP.

The Vahakn N. Dadrian Archive Project is led under the direction of Professor Taner Akçam, the inaugural director of the AGRP. This project is anticipated to be completed by December 2025. Upon completion, the entire collection will be available online.

The AGRP will host a webinar this spring to offer additional insight into the project.‍

The Ararat-Eskijian Museum was founded in June 1985 by Genocide survivor, Luther Eskijian, and includes a unique collection of Armenian artifacts as well as books and materials about the Armenian Genocide. The museum is also a cultural and educational center where scholars, artists, writers and community leaders can present current and historical subjects related to the Armenian people, as well as genocide education.

The Armenian Genocide Research Program (AGRP) was established within The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA in early 2022. Led by Taner Akçam, Ph.D., 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.




AW: Council of Socialist International adopts resolution on Artsakh

Emil Lazarian
 Guest Contributor Diaspora 0

On February 24-25, the Council of the Socialist International held a meeting in Madrid, at the headquarters of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).

Since 1907, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun has been a member of this large political organization, which unites political parties from about a hundred countries. Mario Nalpatian, a former member of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun Bureau and a member of the Armenian National Committee – International, as well as one of the vice-presidents of the Socialist International (SI), participated in the meetings of the Council and the Presidium and was elected a member of the SI Finance and Administration Committee.

President of the Socialist International and Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez referred to the Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh issue in his opening speeches at the organization’s Presidium and Council meetings.

At the meetings of the SI Presidium and Council, Nalpatian presented the situation and challenges caused by the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh by Azerbaijan’s genocidal actions and violence, as well as Azerbaijan’s threats and demands directed at the Republic of Armenia.

The SI Council adopted a resolution on the Artsakh issue, which states:

The Socialist International supports the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan aimed at signing a peace agreement. To contribute to the establishment of peace and stability in the region, such an agreement should be reached without the use of force or the threat of force, based on international law and diplomatic practice, including a commitment to an internationally sponsored peaceful process towards a final political settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the full realization of the fundamental rights and security of the people of Nagorno Karabakh on their ancestral territory.

President of the Socialist International and Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez speaking at the Council of the Socialist International meeting

In line with our longstanding principled policy regarding the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and considering the November 17, 2023 provisional measure by the International Court of Justice ordering Azerbaijan to “ensure that persons who have left Nagorno Karabakh after 19 September 2023 and who wish to return to Nagorno Karabakh are able to do so in a safe, unimpeded and expeditious manner” and “are free from the use of force or intimidation that may cause them to flee,” we reiterate our call:

  1. Until the final political settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh issue and the full realization of the fundamental rights of the people of Nagorno Karabakh, for the collective, unhindered and safe return to their homeland. Also, for the provision of an intermediate status for Nagorno Karabakh – ensuring the full extent of the civil and political rights and providing effective security guarantees for the people of Nagorno Karabakh, as well as unhindered land connection with Armenia – guaranteed by international norms.
  2. For the release of prisoners of war and detained persons. 
  3. For the complete and simultaneous lift of the blockades of transport and other means of communication, without any restriction of sovereignty.

The Socialist International stands ready to assist in these processes through its good offices and with the participation of its member parties and organizations.

The meeting of the Council of the Socialist International also made decisions on organizational issues and adopted the Madrid Declaration.

The Socialist International is the worldwide organization of social democratic, socialist and labor parties. It currently brings together 132 political parties and organizations from all continents. The relevant structures of the ARF are full members of the Socialist International Women (SIW) and the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). Sarine Abrahamian, from the ARF Youth, is a vice-president of IUSY. 

Armenian National Committee – International
2.27.2024

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 26-02-24

Emil Lazarian

 17:25,

YEREVAN, 23 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 26 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.07 drams to 404.42 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.96 drams to 438.63 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 4.38 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.13 drams to 512.60 drams.

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

Gold price up by 49.41 drams to 26361.72 drams. Silver price down by 4.56 drams to 295.35 drams.

As New Talks are Announced, Aliyev Threatens Armenia

Emil Lazarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Main, Latest, News, Top Stories

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan speaks in occupied Artsakh on Feb. 26


President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Monday threatened Armenia, saying that Yerevan should accept all of Baku’s conditions, as both countries announced that their foreign ministers will meet in Berlin this week for a new round of peace talks.

“Armenia and its patrons believed that no one would punish them. They were completely wrong, and they are still wrong today,” Aliyev said, according to the Trend news agency.

“Armenia, which is looking for a new owner and seeking refuge in somebody else’s arms, should understand that the only way is to accept all of Azerbaijan’s conditions and give up its territorial claims against Azerbaijan,” Aliyev added.

His remarks come two days after Azerbaijani forces attacked the Verin Shorzha region of the Gegharkunik Province on Saturday, prior to which another attack on Armenian positions in Nerkin Hand in the Syunik Province killed four soldiers.

Foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan will meet his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhum Bayramov in Berlin later this week.

Spokespersons from both foreign ministries confirmed the meeting, which they said will take place from February 28 to 29.

Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Munich earlier this month during talks mediated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Aliyev has criticized the European Union and France, accusing them of advancing pro-Armenian policies.

He criticized the EU’s mission in Armenia and France for selling weapons to Yerevan.

President Emmanuel Macron of France said last week that his country will continue to support Armenia and advance its military capabilities. Macron also emphasized that Azerbaijan should recognize Armenia’s territorial integrity explicitly.

A day later, France’s defense minister Sebastien Lecornu visited Yerevan and signed several more agreements with his Armenian counterpart. Reports also indicated that a new shipment of military equipment from France arrived in Armenia on the same day of Lecornu’s visit.

Belarusian president denies Armenia’s withdrawal from CSTO

Emil Lazarian
 Prensa Latina
Feb 25 2024
Minsk, Feb 25 (Prensa Latina) Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko affirmed on Sunday that his Government has not received any statement on Armenia's withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
  • 09:31

 

 

 

 

“The foremost issue is that as we have not received any official notification that Armenia is going to leave the CSTO, that country remains a member of the organization,” Lukashenko told reporters at a polling station on Sunday, after having cast his vote in the Belarusian parliamentary and local council elections.

The head of State noted that the CSTO countries will react “absolutely calmly” to the corresponding statement. “If they do not want to be in the CSTO, it will not collapse, it will not be destroyed.”

Lukashenko added that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian cannot make a decision on the country’s withdrawal from the CSTO.

“The system of power in Armenia is not the same as in Belarus. Pashinian cannot make the decision to join or leave. There, the parliament makes the decision.”

jg/omr/mem/gfa

https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/02/25/belarusian-president-denies-armenias-withdrawal-from-csto/

Montreal Honors Renowned Armenian Musician Raffi Armenian in a Stellar Tribute

Emil Lazarian
Feb 26 2024

In the heart of Montreal, an evening dedicated to the legacy of Raffi Armenian, a titan in the realms of music and education, promises to fill Bourgie Hall at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts with melodies that transcend time and borders. Set for February 19, 2024, the event not only celebrates Armenian's illustrious career but also underscores the indelible mark he has left on the cultural fabric of Quebec and Canada. Born to Armenian parents in Egypt, Armenian's journey through music has been one of passion, dedication, and unparalleled achievement.

The tribute evening is poised to be a constellation of performances by some of the most distinguished names in the classical music scene, including Armenian-Canadian soprano Aline Kutan, violinist Van Armenian, and conductors like Jean-Marie Zeitouni. Pianists André Laplante and Olivier Godin will also grace the stage, bringing to life a repertoire that spans the emotional depth and technical brilliance of Mozart, Schubert, and Schumann, alongside the poignant beauty of Armenian melodies. This diverse program not only showcases the breadth of Armenian's influence but also serves as a bridge connecting different musical traditions and communities.

Armenian's career has been a beacon of excellence in music performance and education. As the director of the Atelier lyrique de l'Opéra de Montréal and a revered conductor of leading Canadian orchestras, he has shaped the soundscape of the nation. However, his most profound impact may be in his role as a mentor at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, where he nurtured the talents of aspiring conductors, instilling in them a love for music that mirrors his own. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate and the esteemed Order of Canada. The tribute event, therefore, is not just a celebration of Armenian's musical achievements but a recognition of his role as a cultural ambassador and educator.

The tribute to Raffi Armenian is more than an evening of exquisite music; it is a testament to the power of art in uniting people across different backgrounds and experiences. It reflects the mosaic of Montreal's cultural scene, a place where diverse traditions flourish and intertwine. Through the language of music, the event honors not only a single musician's legacy but also the broader human story of migration, adaptation, and artistic _expression_. As the melodies of Mozart and Armenian folk tunes fill Bourgie Hall, attendees will be reminded of the enduring beauty that emerges when cultures converge and creativity knows no bounds.

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/canada/montreal-honors-renowned-armenian-musician-raffi-armenian-in-a-stellar-tribute

Armenia, Azerbaijan To Hold Peace Talks In Germany From Wednesday

Emil Lazarian
BARRON'S
Feb 26 2024
  • FROM AFP NEWS

Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers are set to hold peace talks in Berlin this week, both ministries said Monday, in a bid to resolve a decades-long conflict between the Caucasus countries.

The two states have struggled for the control of Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Baku recaptured in September from Armenian separatists who had controlled it for decades.

"A meeting of the delegations of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will take place on February 28-29 in Berlin," Armenian foreign ministry spokeswoman Ani Badalyan said Monday on social media.

The meeting was planned "in line with the agreement reached at the Munich trilateral talks" during which Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had spoken.

Their meeting had been mediated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov confirmed he would be meeting Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan "over the coming days."

Tensions between the two countries have remained high since Baku re-captured Karabakh during a one-day offensive in September.

The operation triggered the exodus of most of the enclave's entire ethnic-Armenian population -– more than 100,000 people –- flee to Armenia.

Yerevan is concerned that Azerbaijan, emboldened by its success in Karabakh, could invade Armenian territory in order to create a land bridge to its Nakhichevan enclave.

Pashinyan and Aliyev previously said a peace agreement could have been signed by the end of last year, but internationally mediated peace talks have failed to yield a breakthrough.

mkh-im/brw/giv

Zelenskyy to visit Armenia and possibly Azerbaijan at the beginning of next week

Emil Lazarian
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA
Feb 26 2024
EUROPEAN PRAVDA, UKRAINSKA PRAVDA 

The information about a possible visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Armenia, which was first reported last week, was confirmed on 26 February by a diplomatic source of Radio Azatutyun.

Source: European Pravda

Details: The source states that Zelenskyy’s visit to Armenia will most likely be held next Monday, on 4 March. If this is true, "will also travel to Azerbaijan," the publication said.

In case the information is confirmed, this will become the first visit of Zelenskyy to the Southern Caucasus not only since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but also since the moment he took office in 2019.

Zelenskyy has met with the leaders of both Azerbaijan and Armenia at international assemblies. For instance, at the beginning of October 2023 Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, and Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Granada for the first time.

The Armenian Foreign Affairs Ministry refused to officially comment on the information about Zelenskyy’s visit, but MPs from the Public Agreement governmental party hinted in a conversation with Radio Azatutyun that it is true.

 "We don’t care about how Russia will or will not react [to Zelenskiy’s visit]," said one of the lawmakers, Gagik Melkonian.

A possible visit of Zelenskyy to Armenia will be held amid the deterioration of relations between Yerevan and Moscow.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan stated on numerous occasions that Armenia was not Russia’s ally in its war against Ukraine. Recently he stated that Yerevan "freezed" its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, a military alliance de-facto headed by Moscow.

Azerbaijan to Resume Peace Talks with Armenia

Emil Lazarian
Global Village Space
Feb 26 2024

Azerbaijan announces plans to resume face-to-face peace negotiations with Armenia, aiming to address longstanding territorial disputes, despite accusations of bias and provocation from France and alleged tensions spurred by EU actions in Armenia.

ByAnadolu

Azerbaijan on Monday said talks on a peace agreement with neighboring Armenia will resume soon.

“Face to face negotiations regarding the peace agreement are planned to be held with the Armenian delegation in the coming days,” Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told reporters in Baku.

Expressing that work on a draft continued despite a break, Bayramov said President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan decided to restart the process after talks on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.

Bayramov said actions of France serve to aggravate the situation. Baku has accused France of being biased towards Yerevan during peace talks, and has also charged it of inciting conflicts in the Caucasus by arming Armenia.

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

Azerbaijan liberated most of the region during the war in the fall of 2020, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace agreement and opened the door to normalization.

Baku initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh last September to establish constitutional order, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered.

The Azerbaijani diplomat said many institutions and political centers are worried about Azerbaijan’s restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty, adding that actions of the EU mission in Armenia created tensions on the border.

https://www.globalvillagespace.com/azerbaijan-to-resume-peace-talks-with-armenia/