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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

Armenian MFA considers necessary simultaneous withdrawal of troops from the border and deployment of observation mission

Emil Lazarian

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 19:45, 7 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement over the ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani armed forces on the March 7, condemning the killing of a serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces, emphasizing that such incidents, the regular violations of the ceasefire, further substantiate the simultaneous withdrawal of troops from the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the need to deploy an observation mission, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“On March 7, Sergeant Hrach Manasaryan, a serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces, was killed and another serviceman was wounded in a gross violation of the ceasefire by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the western part of the Armenian border.

We express our deepest condolences and support to the family members and relatives of the killed soldier, and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded soldier.

Although the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has denied that a serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces was killed as a result of the actions of their units, the official statement on the March 7 meeting at the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan is in line with the logic of increasing the aggressiveness of Azerbaijani units.

Condemning the murder of a serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces, we consider it necessary to emphasize that such incidents and regular violations of the ceasefire further substantiate the need for the simultaneous withdrawal of troops from the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and the deployment of an observation mission in the border area.

We also consider it necessary for the international community to properly assess Azerbaijan’s provocative actions and statements”, reads the statement.

The State Department believes that the supply of weapons to Kyiv may become more difficult in the coming days

Emil Lazarian

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 20:45, 7 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. Delivering weapons to Ukraine can become more difficult in the coming days, ARMENPRESS reports, citing TASS, US First Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on March 7.

“It may become more difficult in the coming days and we will need to look for other ways,” she told reporters during a visit to Spain. Sherman did not provide additional details.

“It’s very important that what we send is what Zelensky is asking for. He knows what his military needs,” the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State added.

In February, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that he had ordered to deliver up to $350 million in immediate military assistance to Ukraine.

AZERBAIJANI press: Two Armenian "terror suspects" sentenced to nearly 20 years in jail

Emil Lazarian
7 March 2022 10:00 (UTC+04:00)
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By Sabina Mammadli

Two Armenians charged with committing terror in Kalbajar, liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war, have been sentenced to nearly 20 years in jail.

The judicial board’s decision was revealed during the trial at the administrative building of Baku’s Sabunchu district court.

Ishkhan Sargsyan was sentenced to 19 years and Vladimir Rafaelyan to 18 years in jail.

Under the verdict, the accused will serve nine years in jail and the remainder of their sentences in a strict regime colony. They will depart Azerbaijan after serving their sentences.

During the trial, which was presided over by Ganja Grave Crimes Court judge Elmin Rustamov, the defendants’ lawyers and later the defendants themselves presented remarks.

Earlier, the prosecutor urged the court to sentence Sargsyan to 20 years in jail and Rafaelyan to 19 years.

The indictment stated that at about 03:00 on May 27, 2021, the commander of the group in the military unit of the Armenian Defence Ministry special intelligence forces Ishkhan Sargsyan and Vladimir Rafaelyan, who served in the military as sapper engineers illegally crossed Azerbaijan’s state border in the direction of Kalbajar region, where the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry units are deployed, and mined the roads passing through Yukhari Ayrim village. These persons were arrested at the scene of the crime. Some 23 TM 62-M and E-00-M-type mines were detected and confiscated from them.

It should be noted that in a criminal case initiated by the State Security Service, Sargsyan and Rafaelyan were charged under Azerbaijani Criminal Code Articles 214.2.3 (terrorism committed with the use of firearms and objects used as weapons), 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying weapons, components for them, ammunition, explosives, and explosive devices), 318 (illegal crossing of Azerbaijan’s state border), and 282 (sabotage).

Azerbaijan and Armenia resumed their second war on September 27, 2020, when Armenia began firing on Azerbaijani civilians and military positions. The war came to an end on November 10, when the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia signed a trilateral cease-fire agreement.

The Azerbaijani army declared victory over the Armenian forces. The agreement required Armenia to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijani territory that it had occupied since the early 1990s.

In the war unleashed by Armenia, Azerbaijan’s Ganja, Barda, Yevlakh, Beylagan, Tartar, Gabala, Goranboy, Aghjabadi, Khizi and other cities and regions, fairly far from the war zone, came under Armenia’s missile and artillery fire.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have confirmed that Armenia used prohibited cluster bombs and missiles in its attacks on Azerbaijani cities.

As a result, 100 Azerbaijani civilians, including 12 children and 27 women, were killed. There were 454 people injured, including 35 children. One hundred and eighty-one children lost one parent, five children lost both parents, and one family died. In total, 12,292 residential and non-residential structures, as well as 288 vehicles, were damaged.

Azerbaijani press: President Aliyev sends letter to French counterpart [UPDATE]

Emil Lazarian
7 March 2022 13:02 (UTC+04:00)
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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter to President of France Emmanuel Macron, Azertag has reported. 

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for your letter to me on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the French Republic. In my turn, I would also like to sincerely congratulate you and the people of France on this significant occasion and convey my best wishes.

The Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Understanding and Cooperation signed between Azerbaijan and France in 1993 defined the basic principles and vectors for the development of our bilateral relations. Azerbaijan has always adhered to these principles and tried to establish equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with France.

Over the past period, Azerbaijani-French relations have developed dynamically. Fruitful cooperation has been established and good achievements have been made in many areas. Today, French companies are heavily involved in the economic life of Azerbaijan, the French Lyceum and the French-Azerbaijani University are successfully operating in Baku. I would like to emphasize the attention being paid to the development of cultural ties between our countries under the direct leadership of Mehriban Aliyeva. I believe that the development of our mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic, cultural, educational and other fields will continue to serve the well-being of our peoples and countries.

The Republic of Azerbaijan, where peoples of different civilizations, cultures and religions have historically lived together and in harmony, is a state pursuing an independent policy based on the will and interests of the people. Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity by ending the occupation of its historical and ancient lands by Armenia and implemented UN Security Council resolutions. The end of the 30 years of aggression has created opportunities for cooperation in the region in accordance with the new geopolitical reality. In this regard, the opening of transport and communication lines ushers ample economic opportunities for our region.

I believe that our quadripartite meeting and talks initiated by France as the current President of the European Union provided a good opportunity for building confidence in the region and ensuring lasting peace and stability.

Azerbaijan is a supporter of peace. We are ready to start negotiations on a peace agreement with Armenia on the basis of fundamental principles of international law such as territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of internationally recognized borders. Emphasizing the importance of Armenia’s constructive stance on this issue, we do hope that France will support the peace agenda in the region.

Dear Mr. President,

At present, the main task facing Azerbaijan is to restore the territories completely destroyed as a result of many years of occupation. We appreciate France’s support for the demining process in our liberated territories. At the same time, we welcome the attention your country has been paying to clarifying the fate of about 4,000 of our compatriots who went missing during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

As a member of UNESCO and in accordance with its Charter, Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated its intention to host the organization’s mission in its territory over the past decades. We are ready to see the UNESCO mission in our country soon based on respect for the sovereign right of the member state.

Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the diversification of cooperation with the European Union, as well as the expansion of relations and dialogue with member countries. We express our confidence that these relations will be further strengthened in the coming months within the framework of your country’s presidency in the European Union.

Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 7 March 2022

Azerbaijanis shell village of Nor Shen in Artsakh, calling on loudspeakers to leave area

Emil Lazarian
 NEWS.am 
Armenia – March 6 2022


21:41, 06.03.2022

Yesterday, Azerbaijanis shelled the village of Nor Shen in Artsakh, after which they demanded the villagers to leave the area, failing which they will use force over loudspeakers. Metakse Hakobyan, a member of the Justice faction of the Artsakh National Assembly, told NEWS.am about this.

“Immediately after the incident, the villagers appealed to the head of the administration. The peacekeepers arrived very quickly and managed to resolve the situation.  However, the agricultural work could not continue and was stopped. The peacekeepers promised that they would be near the villagers in the field for a month, so that they could carry out agricultural work until a solution is found,” the deputy said.


Armenian Ambassador presents details about situation in Ukraine and work of Embassy

Emil Lazarian

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 15:57, 5 March, 2022

YEREVAN, MARCH 5, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Armenia to Ukraine Vladimir Karapetyan presented details about the ongoing developments in Ukraine, the actions taken and being taken by the Embassy.

In an interview to ARMENPRESS, the Ambassador said currently the military operations continue in different – northern, eastern and southern, parts of Ukraine, including in the outskirts of capital Kiev.

He added that the Embassy staff is in constant, daily touch with the Armenian citizens, provides consulting support about the departure ways and possibilities from Ukraine to Armenia, prepares and provides necessary documents for that purpose.

– How are the developments going on in Ukraine now?

– At the moment the battles continue in different – northern, eastern and southern, parts of Ukraine, including in the outskirts of the capital Kiev. The second round of the Russian-Ukrainian talks was held in Belarus on March 3, as a result of which some promising agreements were reached, particularly relating to the humanitarian corridors for the exit of the civilian population and the temporary ceasefire in that sites. Armenia has expressed its position over this matter and has great hopes that it would be possible to settle issues around a negotiation table.

– We know that before the start of the military operations some embassies in Kiev evacuated firstly the families of their diplomats, and then the diplomats. What policy has Armenia adopted in this regard?

– The diplomatic representation of Armenia in Ukraine has been one of the unique embassies (there are 100 embassies in Kiev), which has been in Kiev with its whole staff from the very start of the military operations and fulfilled its functions. The Embassy has also been in constant touch with the Armenian citizens, ethnic Armenians and local authorities.

Due to the deterioration of the situation around Kiev, according to the decision of the Foreign Minister of Armenia, the Ambassador and the Embassy staff moved to the city of Lviv on March 4 and will temporarily work there for security purposes. A consular point has already opened in Lviv for providing support to the Armenian citizens. Tomorrow another such consular point will open in Uzhhorod.

– What does the Embassy do for assisting the Armenian citizens?

– The Embassy staff is in constant, daily touch with the Armenian citizens, provides consulting support about the ways and opportunities of leaving Ukraine for Armenia, prepares and provides necessary documents for this purpose.

Within its modest opportunities, the Embassy, together with the Armenian community of Ukraine, helped those people who wanted to leave their homes, their cities. It’s important to consider an essential factor: several hundreds of thousands of Armenians live in Ukraine, and most of them are citizens of Armenia. I say this so that you can imagine the overload under which the Embassy has worked in Kiev: constant calls, we answered several thousand calls, dozens of visits of citizens and applications for assistance. No embassy had the volume of workload which we had, given the big size of the community and the number of applications.

And all of these works have been done in the war situation. Two of the Embassy diplomats spent the nights in shelters from the first days of the war, sheltering from the explosions and shootings, and sometimes they communicated with our compatriots from shelter, received calls and gave consulting.

Today as well the Embassy continues its service around the clock, by providing both consulting and also in respective cases certificates of return to Armenia to those citizens who currently do not have a valid Armenian passport for crossing the border of Ukraine. Within its capacities the Embassy is also assisting the Armenian citizens who are in different difficult situations.

I would like to specifically highlight the caring attitude of the Foreign Ministry leadership towards our compatriots facing difficulties. The only direction and goal of all our orders and tasks are our citizens and relate to the measures of providing them with proper assistance.

You are aware also that with the efforts of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova and Hungary have allowed Armenian citizens leaving Ukraine to cross their land border checkpoints without a visa. Moreover, Armenian diplomats are working in the border sections between these countries and Ukraine, assisting our compatriots who need help.

– How many Armenian citizens are there in Ukraine? Is there any support also for Ukrainian-Armenians?

– It’s impossible to mention the exact number because only a small part of the citizens goes through a consular registration which is a voluntary process.

As for Armenians who are citizens of Ukraine, we must note that we receive most of the calls also from the Ukrainian citizens. I want to remind the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry that Armenia is ready to host Armenians arriving from Ukraine. We are also ready to provide necessary support to the persons with Ukrainian citizenship who are crossing the Armenian border, regardless




PACE head: Armenia does not have a stance on Russian-Azerbaijani allied cooperation declaration

Emil Lazarian

March 2 2022


  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Armenia and signing of Armenian-Azerbaijani declaration

Armenia is neither surprised by the signing of the Russian-Azerbaijani declaration on allied cooperation, nor holds a strong position on it, said member of the ruling Civil Contract party and the head of the Armenian delegations in PACE Eduard Aghajanyan.

A week has passed since the signing of declaration on allied cooperation by by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, however, Armenian authorities have not yet issued a comment on this matter. Meanwhile, Armenian society has a lot of questions – on social media, users are discussing the implications of Russia’s ( Armenia’s strategic ally) deepening of ties with a state with which Armenia is still far from friendly.

What Russia and Azerbaijan agreed on, Yerevan’s “late reaction” to the deepening of cooperation between Moscow and Baku, the attitude of the local opposition to this and expert opinion below.

  • Azerbaijan signs declaration on allied cooperation with Russia. What does it mean?
  • IRI polls in Armenia: “Turkey and Azerbaijan are a threat to Armenia’s security”
  • “Russia ousted the West from the South Caucasus” – former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group

The document was signed on February 22 in Moscow. The purpose of the declaration signed by Putin and Aliyev is, among other things, the deepening of military cooperation. The Kremlin believes that this “will bring relations between Russia and Azerbaijan to an allied level”.

The document itself, in particular, states: “In order to ensure security, maintain peace and stability, Russia and Azerbaijan may consider the possibility of providing each other with military assistance on the basis of the UN Charter, separate international treaties and taking into account the existing international legal obligations of each of the parties”.

The document also touches upon other aspects of military cooperation, including the holding of joint activities for operational and combat training, equipping with modern weapons and military equipment.

The President of Russia assessed the signing of the declaration as a new stage in the development of relations with Baku. The President of Azerbaijan also positively assessed the document.

The Armenian authorities have not officially reacted to this situation. The vice-speaker of the parliament Hakob Arshakyan, in response to the question of the deputies, said that “the text of the declaration should be studied carefully”, and assured that “the reaction will not be postponed”. A week has already passed, but there has been no official response yet.

At this moment, there has only been the answer of the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vahan Hunanyan:

“The interstate allied cooperation that has developed between Armenia and Russia, based on the centuries-old friendship of peoples, is self-sufficient in nature and is in no way conditioned by relations with third countries, which the parties do not develop to the detriment of the Armenian-Russian union. This is also evidenced by history and signed documents.

Yerevan and Moscow, at various levels, including high and highest, are consistently taking steps to expand relations both in bilateral and multilateral formats, aimed at developing the two countries in conditions of guaranteed security. We hope that the declaration signed in Moscow on February 22 this year will create additional opportunities for the implementation of the provisions of the three statements adopted by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, which can also contribute to a long-term and comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship”.

This point of view is shared by the parliamentary majority of Armenia. In an interview with journalists on March 1, Eduard Aghajanyan, a member of the Civil Contract faction, stated:

“In fact, this agreement confirms the reality that has existed for many years in the context of Russian-Azerbaijani relations. Since this is not new to us, Armenia has no position on this issue”.

The declaration signed by Moscow and Baku does not create any problems for Russia’s allied relations with Armenia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing. She recalled that the contractual framework between Armenia and the Russian Federation includes almost 200 documents, and stressed that Russia will fulfill all obligations to its longtime ally․

She also stated that “the declaration signed with Baku will strengthen the trilateral cooperation between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia”, which, in turn, will contribute to strengthening regional security.

Former authorities of Armenia, who are now acting as an irreconcilable opposition, immediately responded to the signing of the declaration. The executive body of the Republican Party of Armenia, led by Serzh Sargsyan, has issued a statement:

“When your only ally becomes an ally of your enemy, it is, first of all, the result of your own weakness, the mistakes you made, your military-political failure, your geopolitical bankruptcy”, the RPA statement says.

It emphasizes that relations with Russia should be built in a new quality, content and on fair terms. The Republicans believe that this “is a vital necessity for the future of Armenia and Artsakh”, but this work will have to be carried out by the future authorities of the country.

Russia’s goal is to restore its influence in the post-Soviet space, says Benyamin Poghosyan, director of the Center for Political and Economic Strategic Studies. And the signing of the Russian-Azerbaijani agreement, by and large, is not connected either with Armenia or with its foreign policy.

According to the political scientist, Russia believes that by signing the declaration, they are strengthening their positions in Azerbaijan.

“After the war, Russia has a strong lever of influence on Azerbaijan. These are Russian troops stationed in Artsakh. Now soft means of influence have been added to this – allied cooperation, economic relations, etc.

Benyamin Poghosyan does not think that “Russia is sacrificing the interests of Armenia”, because Russia and Azerbaijan signed not an agreement, but only a declaration.

At the same time, the political scientist emphasizes that the policy pursued by Armenia and the signed declaration do not contradict each other:

“If we look at Armenia’s policy towards Azerbaijan after the war, which suggests that we need to improve relations with Azerbaijan, delimit borders, demarcate, sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, open roads, then I don’t see any contradiction between Armenia’s regional policy and points of the declaration signed by Russia and Azerbaijan”.

The expert also addresses paragraph of the document, which states that Russia and Azerbaijan are building their relations on the basis of “territorial integrity and inviolability of the state borders of the two countries”:

“Russia tells Azerbaijan that it de jure recognizes the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region as part of Azerbaijan, which means the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within the borders of Soviet Azerbaijan. But Azerbaijan at the same time agrees that a small part of Nagorno-Karabakh, three thousand square meters, remaining under the control of the Armenian side, will be de facto under the influence of Russia, that is, Azerbaijan recognizes that this territory is not under its control”.

 

BOOK: Der Matossian’s book takes closer look at Adana massacres

Emil Lazarian
Nebraska Today
March 2 2022
by Deann Gayman | University Communication

On April 23, 1909, the Omaha Daily Bee reported on its front page that “all inhabitants of several Armenian villages and towns have been killed … victims number ten thousand.”

The newspaper was referring to the shocking massacres that engulfed Adana in April 1909. These massacres were twin eruptions of violence that claimed the lives of at least 20,000 Armenians and 2,000 Muslims in the former Ottoman Empire, presently Turkey.

At the time, these massacres were covered extensively by the press; however, they soon fell into oblivion. Historians tend to concentrate more on the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 which killed up to 1. 5 million Armenians.

But a new book by University of Nebraska–Lincoln historian and preeminent scholar of ethnic violence in the Ottoman Empire, Bedross Der Matossian, sheds light on the Adana massacres and the political, economic and societal factors that led up to it. The book, “The Horrors of Adana: Revolution and Violence in the Early 20th Century,” offers one of the first close examinations of the events that led to the massacres. It will be published March 15 by Stanford University Press.

Courtesy | Ernst Jackh Papers, Columbia University
Destroyed buildings are shown in the city of Adana following the 1909 massacres.

Relying on documents and newspapers from 15 archives in a dozen different languages from around the world, Der Matossian examines the events from the perspectives of victims, perpetrators, bystanders and humanitarians.

“It was a period where massive violence shook the province,” Der Matossian, Hymen Rosenberg Associate Professor of Judaic Studies and history, said. “The historiography of the Adana massacres has been represented in a superficial way — as Muslims killing Christians. I argue that that’s not the case. I argue that we have to really go into depth in order to understand why these massacres took place. As historians, we have to really understand and explain why phases of violence erupt in a specific period of time and lead to a cataclysm of violence.”

“In order to fully understand the Adana violence, we have to really understand the political and socio-economic structure of the province of Adana.”

The book follows his examination of the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 in “Shattered Dreams of Revolution: From Liberty to Violence in the Late Ottoman Empire,” and begins with the economic hardships wrought for some by the invention of the cotton gin and other new technologies. Previously, cotton grown in the region had been harvested by 70-80,000 migrant workers.

“The requirement for labor started decreasing with the development of new technology,” Der Matossian said. “Armenians played an important role in the introduction of this new technology of cotton machines, and there’s anger and envy towards perceived Armenian superiority in the economic sphere. Economic changes created a kind of resettlement.”

Also playing a role in the massacres was the despotic government in power, which fomented rumors and conspiracy theories. Adana was under extensive surveillance by the government before the 1908 revolution because a small group of Armenians had formed revolutionary groups in order to fight against the depredations and persecutions suffered in the eastern provinces.

“Post-1908 revolution, the conspiracies about the intentions of the Armenians were spread very fast by discontented elements of the province leading to an exacerbation of an already contentious situation.” Der Matossian said. “The government and the local notables in power now believed that Armenians were preparing an uprising in order to reinstate the kingdom of Cilicia.”

Courtesy | Ernst Jackh Papers, Columbia University
Tents were put up in a refugee camp in Adana.

Der Matossian, who is the grandson of Armenian genocide survivors, said it is important to grow the historical knowledge of these massacres, as history has a way of repeating itself.

“Massacre is an extremely important thing that needs to be analyzed,” he said. “I argue in the book that massacre is not an aberration. It is a logical process that has its unique dynamics and has an evolution and a conclusion.”

“They are endemic to urban centers — they start there and spread — but they are not endemic to specific religions, cultures or societies.”

And, he does not want these massacres to be forgotten.

“I also wrote this book because in the field of Middle Eastern Studies, in the field of Ottoman and Turkish Studies, this important phase is not even in the footnotes,” Der Matossian said. “Most scholarship tends to concentrate on the Armenian genocide because of its magnitude and bypasses this important episode. I’ve tried to lay out here the complexity of the situation and what we can learn from this specific episode.

“What types of measures can we take? Because these massacres not only happened in 1909, similar dynamics and similar actors played important roles in different massacres across the course of the 20th century.”

Der Matossian concludes his book by comparing the Adana Massacres to the 1905 Pogroms of Odessa (Ukraine) and the Sikh Massacres of 1984 (India).

Eleven Armenian companies to participate in Wine Travel Awards

Emil Lazarian
Public Radio of Armenia
March 2 2022
March 2, 2022, 13:38

Armenia will participate in the first ever Wine Travel Awards 2021-2022 online wine tourism awards to be held in March 2022. Under the auspices of the German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ), Private Sector Development and Vocational Education and Training in the South Caucasus program, Armenia will present 11 wine tourism projects with the support of the Viticulture and Enology Foundation of Armenia.

Voting starts on March 1 at www.winetravelawards.com. The winners will be decided both by public voting and a jury of wine and enotourism experts.

“This is the first time this innovative competition will be organized. It includes implementation of joint advertising and information campaigns in the target countries. They will contribute to the popularization of the proposed wine tourism projects, competition partners, and the participating countries,” says Hayarpi Shahinyan, expert in innovative enotourism.

Articles about the candidate projects and profiles will be published in the Wine Travel Awards Guide catalog, which will be on display at some of the most prominent and famous wine exhibitions, including London Wine Fair and ProWein.

In addition, before the competition,public awareness campaigns will be conducted in the target countries: Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.

Armenian parliament starts voting for new president

Emil Lazarian
panorama.am
Armenia – March 2 2022


The Armenian National Assembly stated voting for the election of a new president of the country on Wednesday afternoon.

The voting, which began at 3pm, will run until 4pm.

Vahagn Khachaturyan is the sole presidential candidate nominated by the ruling Civil Contract faction.

The opposition Hayastan (Armenia) and With Honor factions did not field any presidential candidates, and boycotted today’s parliamentary debates on Khachaturyan’s candidacy.

Khachaturyan needs 81 votes to be elected president in the first round. but the Civil Contract faction holds 71 seats in the parliament. In the second round, however, 65 votes in favor are enough to elect a new president.

Armen Sarkissian stepped down as Armenian president on January 23.