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

The NATO is not ready to stand back from the fundamental principles of the alliance. Secretary General

January 26, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

21:03,

YEREVAN, 25 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the NATO is not ready to go for compromises on the basic principles of the alliance with Russia, ARMENPRESS reports, “RIA NOVOSTI” writes citing TB television centre.

As Russia-NATO military-political tensions over Ukraine escalate, Russia and the United States are holding talks at the levels of presidents, foreign ministers and lower levels to avoid further escalation. The main concern of Washington: the alleged threat of Russian troops invading Ukraine, Moscow’s concern is NATO expansion to the East, including Ukraine’s possible membership to the North Atlantic Alliance.

Armenian PM tests positive for Covid-19

January 26, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Jan 26 2022

ANCA: Azerbaijan’s embassies around the world are ‘less diplomatic missions and more ATMs’

January 26, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

panorama.am

Armenia – Jan 25 2022

Azerbaijan’s embassies around the world are “less diplomatic missions and more ATMs”, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said in a tweet on Tuesday, referring to an ongoing investigation involving American businessmen and Azerbaijan.

“Increasingly clear that Azerbaijan’s embassies around the world are less diplomatic missions and more ATMs – cash machines delivering illegal bribes at Aliyev’s direction,” the ANCA tweeted.

The FBI raided Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Texas last Wednesday as part of a wide-ranging federal probe relating to Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Cuellar, who represents Texas’ 28th Congressional District along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been in Congress since 2005. In recent years he has served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, and repeatedly met with Azerbaijan officials, including the ambassador of Azerbaijan, Elin Suleymanov.

Composer Loris Tchgnavoryan dedicated two works to victims of the Artsakh 44-day war

January 26, 2022January 26, 2022 Emil Lazarian

panorama.am

Armenia – Jan 25 2022

Iranian-Armenian composer, conductor Loris Tchgnavoryan have authored more than 40 works in the past two years, including two major pieces which he had dedicated to the victims of the 2020 artsakh war. The latest work is a requiem in memory of the pandemic victims. Tchgnavoryan is visiting Armenia and his remarks came on January 24 at the meeting with Armenia’s Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sport Vahram Dumanyan.

As the press service at the ministry reported, the conductor noted that he is visiting Armenia every time with great enthusiasm and expectations: “I am linked to the motherland with the most cherished memories,” Tchgnavoryan said.

The meeting discussed joint initiatives, development and implementation of new projects, the possibilities to present the latest works of the maestro in the motherland.

Minister Dumanyan also invited the maestro to the concert entitled ‘To the Heroes:44’ on January 25 at Aram Khachaturian concert hall which will feature the Armenian State Philharmonic Orchestra and is dedicated to the victims of the 44-day Artsakh war.

Russian Foreign Ministry urges launching commission to deal with Azerbaijani-Armenian border delimitation as soon as possible

January 25, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Jan 21 2022

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Russia is ready to provide advisory assistance to Azerbaijan and Armenia in the process of delimitation and demarcation of the border.

“The priority task today is to launch the process of delimitation and demarcation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, as well as unblock transport and economic ties in the region. Achieving progress in these areas will significantly advance the normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in response to media queries.

Asked about how Russia sees the future of the South Caucasus, where external players are too active, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that all those who want to join the process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, ensure stability and security in the South Caucasus, did not act on the principle of zero sum game, but proceeded from the parties’ interests stemming from the trilateral agreements.

“It is necessary to create and launch as soon as possible the bilateral commission that will deal with the delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border with its subsequent demarcation. We are ready to provide advisory assistance to Baku and Yerevan in this process,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks

January 25, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

News.am

Armenia – Jan 20 2022

15:15, 21.01.2022

YEREVAN. – Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Friday received a visiting European Union (EU) delegation—led by Isabelle Dumont, the representative of the French chairmanship at the Council of the European Union and Advisor for Continental Europe and Turkey of the French President’s Cabinet, as well as Toivo Klaar, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia.

First, Mirzoyan congratulated France on assuming the chairmanship of the EU Council, expressing a conviction that this chairmanship will be productive and will contribute to the establishment of stability and security in the South Caucasus, the foreign ministry of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. The further development of the Armenia-EU partnership was also highlighted.

During the meeting, reference was made to the humanitarian issues caused by the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020. In this context, the immediate returning of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian detainees still being held in Azerbaijan was stressed.

The interlocutors exchanged views also on taking steps to increase the level of security and stability along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

The need for full observance of the ceasefire, as well as the need for the Azerbaijani leadership to stop its belligerent rhetoric was stressed, too.

In addition, the Armenian FM stressed the importance of the full resumption of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

‘Zangezur corridor’ will unite Turkic world, says Azerbaijan presidential office official

January 25, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

News.am

Armenia – Jan 20 2022

‘Zangezur corridor’ will unite Turkic world, says Azerbaijan presidential office official

15:37, 21.01.2022

The “Zangezur corridor” will unite the whole Turkic world. This was stated by Saadat Yusifova, Deputy Head of the Non-Governmental Organizations and Communications Department of the Office of the President of Azerbaijan, at the launch of the website zefer.az—meaning “victory”—created by the order of the country’s president.

“This victory is the victory of divine justice which was trampled on for many years. The Azerbaijani people feel stronger and prouder than ever. The economic significance of this victory is also quite huge. The Zangezur corridor will unite the whole Turkic world and will increase the significance of our country, will completely change the transit functions and the geo-economic picture of the region. The true assessment of our victory will be given by future generations, who will benefit from it. The world has already accepted this new reality,” Yusifova said at the aforesaid event.

President resigns citing ‘inability to help his country’

January 25, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

RT – Russia Today

Jan 24 2022

Armenia’s President Armen Sarksyan has announced his resignation

After nearly four years in office, Armenian President Armen Sarksyan announced his early resignation, on Sunday. The politician cited “the lack of necessary instruments to influence the fundamental processes in internal and foreign politics” as one of the major reasons behind his decision.

He pointed in particular to the fact that a president in Armenia cannot “veto laws he deems unreasonable” or “influence issues related to war and peace.” Sarksyan also decried the fact that the president “lacks constitutional instruments to help his country” at a time when the world is going through a period of “constant turbulence.”

Armenia became a parliamentary republic back in 2015 following a referendum that slashed the powers of the president. Under its new Constitution, a holder of the office is elected by the nation’s parliament every seven years.The presidential office “should not become a target for gossips and conspiracies” that draw public attention away from more important issues, Sarkysan said, in a statement published on Sunday. He did not elaborate, but went on to describe the present situation in Armenia as a “national crisis.”

Sarksyan is a veteran politician who briefly served as Armenia’s prime minister between 1996 and 1997 before taking up the role of Yerevan’s ambassador to the UK for the next 20 years, 1998 to 2018.

He was elected president of Armenia in March 2018, shortly before protests that saw the nation’s current prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, assume office in May of that year.

Armenian baritone Navasard Hakobyan wins top prize at Houston Grand Opera’s competition for young singers

January 25, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Public Radio of Armenia

Jan 24 2022

, 13:02

1 minute read

Armenian baritone Navasard Hakobyan has won the first prize of the Houston Grand Opera’s 34th Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, Operawire reports.

The singer will take home $10,000. Coming in second was soprano Amanda Batista, who will earn $5,000. Taking home the third place prize of $3,000 will be bass-baritone Jongwon Han; he also won the Audience Choice Award.

The winner of the Ana María Martínez Encourage Award was soprano Olivia Smith; she will earn $2,000 in prize money. Smith was also the recipient of the Online Viewers’ Choice Award.

“HGO’s 34th Concert of Arias was an awe-inspiring evening, full of beautiful music and spirited competition. The rising stars who took the Wortham stage hold the keys to the future of this artform, and I’m happy to share that the future is looking bright indeed,” said Khori Dastoor, HGO General Director and CEO, in an official statement. “It was a thrill to host the event for both in-theater and at-home audiences. The Wortham was positively buzzing with excitement. These young artists left everything out on the stage. We were all blown away.”

The judges for this year’s competition included Dastoor, soprano Christine Goerke, HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers, and soprano and HGO Artistic Advisor Ana María Martínez.

Navasard has graduated from the vocal studio of Armenian State Song Theater and is doing his Master’s at the Classical Yerevan Conservatory (class of Profesor S. Kolosaryan). Since 2018 Navasard is a soloist of the Young Opera Singers Program of the Yerevan Opera Theater and has performed at various concert halls and cultural centers of Armenia.

Duduk player Arsen Petrosyan nommed for Songlines Music Awards

January 25, 2022March 12, 2026 Emil Lazarian

Jan 24 2022

– 13:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian duduk player Arsen Petrosyan has been nominated for the Best Artist award at the Songlines Music Awards 2022.

Voting for the 2022 Awards is now open. From a shortlist of the Top of the World albums throughout 2021, you can vote for the Best Artist and Best Group award winners.

All Songlines readers and public voters will also automatically be entered into a prize draw to win one of three pairs of tickets to WOMAD Charlton Park 2022 (July 28-31).