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

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

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

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

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

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’

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

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

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).

Armenian clergymen return after from 8-month service at Dadivank monastery

Emil Lazarian
panorama.am
Armenia – Jan 24 2022

Artsakh Republic State Minister Artak Beglaryan and the Primate of the Artsakh Diocese, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, received on Monday a group of clergymen who had been carrying out spiritual service at Dadivank Monastery. As the press service at the state ministry reported, the clergymen were back after 8-month service 

To note, the monastery, under the protection of Russian peacekeepers at present, is located in Artsakh’s Karvachar region, which had been handed over to Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement from November 9, 2020.

According to the source, State Minister Beglaryan praised the work of the Artsakh Diocese on the frontline of spiritual struggle and its mission for preserving spiritual values. Beglaryan expressed hope that the issue of Dadivank, the status of Artsakh in general, its security and eternity of values will receive a fair solution. 

By the decision of the Artsakh president, five clergymen were awarded with state medals for conducting services and liturgies at the monastery during the difficult post-war period. 

Armenia, Austria celebrate 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations

Emil Lazarian

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 11:40,

YEREVAN, JANAURY 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Austria are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Austria were established on 24 January 1992. On this day the two countries adopted a joint statement about the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Armenia and Austria are cooperating both at bilateral format and also within international organizations, such as UN, OSCE, etc.

During these 30 years the Armenian and Austrian governments signed 12 agreements on mutual cooperation, mutual support and partnership, as well as 6 memorandums of understanding and cooperation.

So far, a total of 14 official visits from Armenia to Austria were conducted, also at the level of presidents and prime ministers. The last one was Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s working visit in March 2019. During this visit the PM should have to negotiate with the Azerbaijani President by the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Pashinyan also met with President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen.

Armen Papikyan is Armenia’s Ambassador to Austria, who is serving since November 28, 2018. Austria’s Ambassador to Armenia is Alois Kraut (residence in Vienna).

Armenians settled in the territory of the Austrian Empire back in the 17th century. The Armenian community has been supplemented after the 1915 Armenian Genocide. According to open sources, currently nearly 7000 Armenians live in Austria, mostly in Vienna. There are the St. Savior and St. Hripsime Churches in Vienna, the College of Theology of the Mekhitarist Congregation and the Hovhannes Shiraz Saturday classes.

Cyrill Demian (1772–1849) was an Armenian inventor of Armenopolis origin who made his living as an organ and piano maker with his two sons, Karl and Guido, in Vienna, Austria. On May 6, 1829, Cyrill and his sons presented a new instrument to the authorities for patent – the accordion. The patent was officially granted on May 23, 1829. Demian’s instruments are currently on display at the Vienna House of Music.  

Austria recognized the Armenian genocide on April 22, 2015 when all six factions of the Parliament adopted a joint statement recognizing and condemning the Genocide of Armenians.

Young Liberal Movement of Australia reaffirms recognition of Armenian Genocide, Artsakh’s right to self-determination

Emil Lazarian

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 11:48,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS (ANCA Press Release).  The Young Liberal Movement of Australia has unanimously adopted a motion at its National Convention recognising the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides, as well as acknowledging the rights to self-determination of the indigenous Armenian people of the Republic of Artsakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).

The Young Liberal Movement is the youth wing of the Liberal Party of Australia, which is one of two major political parties in Australian politics and currently the party in Government federally, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The adoption of the motion demonstrates the growing discourse in Australian society supporting national recognition of the 1915 Genocides, which contrasts with the policy of the Morrison Government, who have continued to placate the denialist Turkish Government with the use of euphemisms instead of the word “genocide” when referring to the Ottoman massacres against the Empire’s Christian minorities.

Significantly, the motion also ensures the Young Liberals support the rights to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh, which is currently under occupation by Azerbaijan following their attacks on the independent Armenian-populated state in 2020 during the Nagorno Karabakh War.

The 2022 Young Liberal Federal Convention was held from January 21 – 23, 2022 at the Hobart Convention and Exhibition Centre at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, with 44 voting delegates participating from six states and the Australian Capital Territory.

The motion was moved by ACT Young Liberal President Connor Andreatidis and seconded by one of his colleagues from the ACT Young Liberal delegation.

Andreatidis’ motion not only recognised the 1915 crimes committed by the Ottoman Empire, but also called on the “Federal Government to recognise and condemn the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides”.

His motion also linked the Armenian Genocide to contemporary acts of aggression, notably Azerbaijani hostilities against the Armenian nation witnessed in September 2020 and the pan-Turkic attempts to ethnically cleanse the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) region of Armenians.

Andreatidis’ motion called on the Federal Young Liberals to “recognise the right to self-determination of the Armenians of the Republic of Artsakh, and that the recent and ongoing attacks against the Republic of Artsakh by Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, are part of an ongoing legacy of Genocide and genocide denial”.

Prominent members of the Australian Liberal Party were also present at the Federal Convention and witnessed the unprecedented motion, including longtime friend and ally of the Armenian-Australian community Senator Eric Abetz, fellow Tasmanian Senators Claire Chandler and Senator Jonathon Duniam, and Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein.

ANC-AU Executive Director Haig Kayserian welcomed the support of the Australian Young Liberal Movement and thanked them for adopting the motion.

“This motion saw future leaders of our nation call out their current leaders by taking a unanimous stand in solidarity with the Armenian-Australian, Assyrian-Australian and Greek-Australian communities by addressing past and current injustices that remain unpunished,” Kayserian said.

“Thanks to the leadership of Mr Connor Andreatidis, some of the most politically active youth from around the country and members of our Prime Minister’s own party have sent a collective, clear and unequivocal message that we must face our future challenges by recognising and condemning past injustices wver they may take place,” Kayserian added.

“We thank Mr Andreatidis and past and present Young Liberal members who have supported this and similar motions which continue to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to advancing issues important to our communities.”

In August 2020, the ACT Young Liberals passed a similar resolution recognised and condemning the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides and the right to self-determination of the Republic of Artsakh (see ).