Author: Emma Jilavian

Zareh Sinanyan fiddled his violin during visit to eastern US cities while Armenia, Artsakh burned

Emma Jilavian
March 11, 2023 Weekly Editorial Board Editorials 1

Republic of Armenia’s High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan in Washington, D.C., March 2023

Armenia’s High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan just concluded a so-called “working visit” to meet Armenian-American representatives in Philadelphia, Boston, Providence, New York City, northern New Jersey and Washington, D.C. The press releases issued by his erstwhile public relations machine back in Yerevan have broadly reported a successful trip detailing meetings and visits to local points of interest, along with photos of the High Commissioner with a handful or fewer of community members in each location smiling for the camera.

It is unclear why and for what purpose Sinanyan parachuted into the US eastern region to take a tour of our communities. The focus of the government of Armenia should be on the current situation in our homeland. Armenia is under red alert as Azerbaijan steadily chips away at Armenian territory along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and kills Armenian civilians living in those border areas to convey a chilling message of more and worse to come. Meanwhile, the Republic of Artsakh’s 120,000 Armenian men, women and children have been locked in what is left of their country under the Aliyev region’s months-long blockade, which is really a campaign of ethnic cleansing occurring in broad daylight.

It is also unknown why the High Commissioner thought the timing of his visit to eastern region Armenian Diasporan communities would be welcome at a time when our focus has been on advocating and protesting for the safety and security of the people of Artsakh and the survival of Armenia in the face of the current existential crisis facing both nations.

For Sinanyan’s winter 2023 visit to our communities, Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) local representatives decided to be in the rooms where Sinanyan planned to meet with Diasporan representatives. We were curious to know why this Armenian government representative was in town, and we wanted to hear his responses to our pointed questions about the Armenian government’s efforts to address current threats to the very existence of Armenia and Artsakh.

The exchanges that occurred in Sinanyan’s meetings do not resemble the staged press reported by his office. While it was quickly apparent that Sinanyan wanted to promote his office’s repatriation, and especially, youth programs, his answers to questions posed by ARF representatives in the meetings were revealing.

For example, Sinanyan admitted that the Pashinyan government had multiple failures during the 44-day Artsakh war, openly stating that he knew within the first two weeks of the war that Armenia and Artsakh were literally engaged in a losing battle due to Armenian government incompetence. He specifically disparaged the Armenian government’s ability to get critical supplies to the Artsakh frontlines of the war due to strategic and communication gaps. Regarding the recent dismissal of former Artsakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan, Sinanyan claimed that he had no information about Armenian government involvement to have Vardanyan dismissed from office and did not connect Artsakh’s survival to Armenia’s continued existence as a nation.

Sinanyan opined that Russia is no friend to Armenia and has been pushing for the realization of the so-called “Zangezur” corridor desired by Azerbaijan. He also offered that someone from his office should be detailed to each of Armenia’s embassies around the world because diplomats currently devote more attention to Diasporan community matters rather than their diplomatic duties.

In his post-trip press releases, Sinanyan claims he “discussed the need for cooperation among Armenian-American elected officials in order to effectively advocate for the Armenian cause” and “discussed the need for unity and cooperation within the Diaspora in order to effectively utilize the Diaspora’s resources in support of Armenia and Artsakh.”

Thanks for conveying these “revelations,” Zareh Sinanyan. We suggest that you save the Republic of Armenia much-needed dram and stop your junkets to our communities to extend platitudes and orchestrate photo ops. Our informed and engaged Diasporan communities have been working 24/7 to save Armenia and Artsakh. What have you and the government you represent done lately?




Congressman Brad Sherman calls for United States humanitarian aid to Artsakh

Emma Jilavian

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 11:22, 9 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. United States Congressman Brad Sherman urged the House Appropriations Committee to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), who are now blockaded by Azerbaijan.

[see video]
“The people of Artsakh are an Armenian community that have lived in that region for really thousands of years. Joseph Stalin, in his evil wisdom, made that region part of Azerbaijan rather than Armenia. The result has been terrible conflict, including what is now a three-month blockade of the Armenians living in that region. They desperately need humanitarian assistance and I hope you are generous in providing humanitarian assistance for the people of Artsakh,” Congressman Sherman said during the Appropriations Committee hearings for fiscal year 2024.

Congressman Frank Pallone in turn earlier called for $100 million in aid to Armenia and $50 million in aid to Artsakh.

Minister Suren Papikyan, Ambassador of Finland discuss possibility of defense cooperation

Emma Jilavian

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 16:40, 9 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan on March 9 held a meeting with the Ambassador of Finland to Armenia Kirsti Narinen.

Issues related to possibilities of bilateral cooperation in the defense sector were discussed, the defense ministry said in a read-out.

Minister Papikyan presented the course of the ongoing reforms in the Armenian military at the request of the ambassador.

A number of issues concerning regional security were also discussed.

Aliyev admits Azerbaijan’s gross violation of ‘non-use of force’ principle

Emma Jilavian
News.am
Armenia – March 9 2023
12:43, 09.03.2023

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has admitted his country’s gross violation of the principle of “non-use of force.” He made this confession at the 10th Global Baku Forum themed “The World of Today: Challenges and Hopes.”

According to him, “Azerbaijan made a lot of effort to resolve the conflict with Armenia in a peaceful way.”

“Conflicts can be resolved in two ways: peaceful and non-peaceful. We [i.e., Azerbaijan] made a lot of effort to resolve the conflict with Armenia peacefully, despite the fact that a humanitarian crisis arose in Azerbaijan as a result of the Armenian occupation, more than 1 million Azerbaijanis were left homeless, became refugees and forced settlers,” Aliyev said, presenting exaggerated numbers.

The leader of Azerbaijan noted that “the OSCE Minsk Group wanted the Karabakh conflict to be frozen forever. In 1992, immediately after the outbreak of the conflict, the OSCE created the Minsk Group. But, unfortunately, during 28 years, the Minsk Group did not achieve any results. And at the end of the negotiation process, it seemed to us that they just wanted to freeze the situation. They wanted this conflict to be frozen forever. But we did not agree. We did what we deemed necessary, using our right to self-defense, the UN Charter, specifically the article. We liberated our territories by force; it was our legal right.”

“The people of Azerbaijan have a moral right to take revenge, and I can understand that. But the essence of my words is that we took revenge on the battlefield. Unlike the Armenians, we have not committed any war crimes. We did not commit genocide, unlike the Armenians. And we took revenge on the battlefield. And now, the time for peace has come,” Aliyev said.

The Azerbaijani leader said that immediately after the war, in November 2020, Azerbaijan took the initiative to start peace negotiations and submitted five principles that could be the basis for signing a peace treaty with Armenia.

“We hope that the international players who are trying to assist in this matter will convince Armenia not to miss this opportunity,” Aliyev added.

At the same time, he claimed that Azerbaijan wants peace.

“We do not want another war. And we believe that it is possible to achieve peace,” he said.

There are no obstacles to achieving peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Azerbaijani president claimed.

“What was agreed between Azerbaijan and Armenia in October of last year, in particular, regarding respecting each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, actually shows that there is no obstacle to achieving peace,” he said.

Also, Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country.

“Therefore, I am sure that the life of the Armenians living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan will be much better than during the occupation. Every conflict has its history, its dynamics, and its end. But the important thing is that disputes between countries are resolved on the basis of international law, territorial integrity, and sovereignty cannot be changed by force.”

It took an earthquake to reopen the border between Turkey and Armenia

Emma Jilavian
March 6 2023


After 30 years, the border between the two countries reopened – briefly – to let in aid. Is a thaw in sight?

Christina Soloyan
6 March 2023, 2.20pm


“Only the [rescue] dog knows what we have witnessed here,” said a member of the Armenian search and rescue crew working to find survivors in Adiyaman, Turkey, following the 6 February earthquakes that devastated the south-east of the country and north-western Syria.

Twin earthquakes of 7.8 and 7.6 magnitudes caused massive destruction in both countries, especially the cities of Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Diyarbakır, Adana, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Malatya and the province of Hatay in Turkey, and Aleppo, Idlib, Hama and Latakia in Syria. The death toll stands at more than 50,000 people – though is likely to rise – and millions more have been displaced.

In the first few days after the earthquakes, humanitarian support started flooding in, especially to Turkey. More than 30,000 search and rescue workers joined the effort, including teams from 40 countries.

The immediate reaction of Turkey’s neighbours, Greece (to the west) and Armenia (to the east), was noteworthy. Both sent search and rescue teams – despite both having long-standing, complicated and often hostile relations with Turkey. Armenian rescuers in Turkey have said that many locals approached them to thank them and were surprised to learn that help had come from Armenia.

A translator from Turkey, Burcu Becermen, who has been working on Armenia-Turkey normalisation initiatives over the years, registered to volunteer in earthquake-affected areas. She visited Hatay province in southern Turkey – where a humanitarian coordination centre has been set up – a few months before the earthquake struck.

“Hatay was one of the most multicultural and multi-ethnic parts of Anatolia. It was a very special place. This culture has been seriously damaged, along with synagogues, mosques and so many churches,” Becermen told openDemocracy.

The day after we spoke, Becermen was asked to provide translation services at a Syrian refugee camp in the city of Kahramanmaraş.

According to a 21 February report by local NGO Support to Life, in Turkey the earthquake has affected 13.5 million people (including two million Syrian refugees). In Syria, it has resulted in 8,500 deaths and aggravated the existing humanitarian crisis caused by the decade-long Syrian civil war.

Armenian-Turkish relations have been hostile for more than a century because of the massacres committed by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian population during the First World War, and Turkey’s unwillingness ever since to acknowledge that these constituted a genocide.

From 1921 until 1991, when Armenia was under Soviet rule, only officials could cross between the two countries. The border was closed altogether in 1993, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The last sanctioned crossing via the Alican-Margara bridge occurred in 1988, when aid was brought from Turkey to the victims of an earthquake in northern Armenia.

The last humanitarian cooperation between the two countries was in 1992, during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan, when Armenia was on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. Turkey agreed to allow 52,000 tonnes of wheat to pass through the Gyumri-Kars railway to the blockaded country.

Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh – an ethnically Armenian region of about 120,000 people within Azerbaijan – and even more so during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. Since December, the Lachin corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world has been blocked by Azerbaijani protesters claiming to be environmental activists. This has sparked a humanitarian crisis in the disputed territory.

So the opening of the border on 11 February was a significant event in the history of Armenian-Turkish relations, even though it was only open for a short while. Two convoys of Armenian trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed the Alican-Margara bridge, in order to reach earthquake-affected zones as quickly as possible.

Turkish diplomat Serdar Kılıç tweeted images of trucks crossing the border, saying: “I will always remember the generous aid sent by the people of Armenia to alleviate the suffering of our people in the earthquake-stricken region of Turkey.”

Translator Becermen said she was disappointed that it “had to happen under these circumstances – that it takes one powerful earthquake and so many lives lost” for the border to reopen.

She added: “I feel so sad that people in Turkey will never truly understand what it meant for Armenia to send aid to Turkey after the Second Karabakh War, and at a time when the Lachin corridor was under blockade.”

A few days later, the 28-member Armenian search and rescue crew crossed from Turkey back to Armenia, becoming the first people to have done so in three decades.

On 16 February, Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan visited some of the earthquake-hit areas in Turkey and also held a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. Both ministers expressed commitment to continue the normalisation process, and as a next step, to jointly restore the Ani bridge, a historical border site.

Turkey and Greece also have a troubled relationship. They are involved in a long-running dispute over delimitation of territorial waters, and recent strongly worded statements have increased negative feelings between the two countries.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan used his speech at the G20 summit in November to issue thinly veiled threats, warning Greece that Turkey would “come suddenly, one night”.

But the support that has come from Greece since the earthquake, as well as the public statements of Greek officials, has led to a change of attitude in Turkey towards Greeks.

“[Erdoğan’s words] were intended to be a threat to Greece. And then Greek rescuers came overnight to help. So, no matter how much politicians will try to use that bellicose rhetoric, people won’t buy it,” Becermen said.

Support between rivals in the face of natural disasters has been termed, suitably enough, ‘earthquake diplomacy’.

Both Turkey and Greece helped each other with aid and rescue crews amid the crisis following the Izmit and Athens earthquakes in the summer of 1999. (Turkey also accepted aid from Armenia, after some delay.)

Greece also supported Turkey during the Aegean Sea earthquake in 2020, which badly damaged the Turkish city of Izmir. Such gestures of support have brought periods of de-escalation in Turkish-Greek relations, but these have never lasted for long.

Armenian political scientist Diana Yayloyan believes that regional and geopolitical realities – such as Turkey’s continued support for Azerbaijan – might prevent the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia from gaining any momentum. For Turkey, any progress will depend on Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.

Also, the Erdoğan government might be particularly cautious because of Turkey’s presidential elections, which are scheduled for June. “There is a serious asymmetry of positions, where Turkey has much more time and does not want to rush things with Armenia before the elections, while Yerevan is hoping to reach bilateral normalisation of relations with Turkey as soon as possible,” said Yayloyan.

She added: “Although the Armenian government can be frustrated with the slow path of the negotiations, where no tangible achievements were accomplished so far, trying to keep the [official] diplomacy moving is very important for Yerevan.”

No matter how much politicians will try to use bellicose rhetoric, people won’t buy it

But support from its neighbours after last month’s earthquakes has contributed to a positive portrayal of these countries in the Turkish media, which is increasingly controlled by the state and usually full of hate speech towards both Armenians and Greeks.

“The humanitarian aid offered by Armenia in such difficult times for Turkey and its people is a very valuable and meaningful act. Some users have even called Armenia ‘a friend during dark days’,” said Yayloyan. “For some people, this will shift the perception of Armenia and make it more positive,” she added.

Search and rescue operations in Turkey ended on 18 February, except for two of the hardest-hit provinces. The international teams who had arrived to help, including Greek and Armenian crews, have now left the country.

A devastating natural disaster and the humanitarian cooperation that followed have helped people of an increasingly polarised region to try to see beyond the official dehumanising propaganda of animosity.

ICRC facilitates transfer of 9 patients from blockaded Nagorno Karabakh

Emma Jilavian

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 11:24, 7 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the transfer of 9 patients from blockaded Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) to Armenia for treatment on March 7, the healthcare ministry of Nagorno Karabakh reported.

“Due to the blocking by Azerbaijan of the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia, 9 patients from the Republican Medical Center the Republic of Artsakh with serious diseases of the oncology and pathologies requiring emergency surgical interventions have been transported today, on March 7, to specialized medical institutions of the Republic of Armenia with the mediation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross,” the ministry said in a statement posted on social media.

“9 patients, who had been transferred to Armenia for medical treatment, returned to Artsakh together with their accompanying persons. Scheduled surgeries continue to be suspended in the medical centers of the Republic of Artsakh. 6 children remain in the neonatal and intensive care unit of the Arevik medical centre. 6 patients remain in the intensive care unit of the Republican Medical Centre, 1 of them in critical condition.A total of 153 patients have been transported so far from Artsakh to Armenia with the mediation and support of the International Committee of the Red Cross,” the ministry added.

ANCA outlines Artsakh-driven US foreign aid priorities

Emma Jilavian
 ANCA ANCA News 0

ANCA Government Affairs Director Tereza Yerimyan making the case on Capitol Hill for aiding Artsakh and holding Azerbaijan accountable.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) – in grassroots outreach, legislative meetings, appropriation requests and Congressional testimony on Capitol Hill – is rolling out Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) foreign aid priorities aligned with the survival of Artsakh and security of Armenia in the face of escalating threats by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The ANCA is asking House and Senate appropriators – particularly those that serve on the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs subcommittees, to fund direct humanitarian aid programs in Artsakh, to prohibit continued US military aid to Azerbaijan and to hold the Aliyev regime accountable for its war crimes, anti-Armenian aggression and ongoing blockade of Artsakh. Policy priorities for Artsakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia are provided below.

Artsakh

Starting in Fiscal Year 1998, Congress began sending direct US aid to Artsakh in the form of maternal health care, clean drinking water and life-saving demining by the HALO Trust. The ANCA is making the case that, in the wake of Azerbaijan’s 2020 attack, and to address the crisis arising from Azerbaijan’s prolonged blockade of the region, this aid program must be meaningfully expanded to meet the humanitarian and recovery needs confronting the families of Artsakh – estimated at well over $250,000,000 – helping them rebuild their lives and resettle in safety upon their indigenous Armenian homeland.

While encouraged by language in the FY23 Consolidated Appropriations Act mandating the Department of State in consultation with USAID prepare a humanitarian assistance strategy to support those impacted by the Artsakh War, the ANCA is requesting that Congress ensure that this strategy is delivered and implemented in order to meet short-term humanitarian needs and support a long-term investment in Artsakh. In terms of the FY24 bill, the ANCA is requesting $75 million for Artsakh:

Refugee Relief: $20,000,000
Food Security: $15,000,000
Energy Security: $10,000,000
Education: $10,000,000
Healthcare: $10,000,000
Water/Sanitation: $5,000,000
Rehabilitation: $3,000,000
Demining/UXO: $2,000,000

Azerbaijan

The ANCA continues to communicate its outrage over the Biden Administration’s reckless and irresponsible decision to continue US military aid to Azerbaijan in the wake of Azerbaijan’s 2020 attack on Artsakh, its assaults and occupation of sovereign Armenian territory and its ongoing blockade of Artsakh. The ANCA is making the case that sending US military aid to Baku – including Section 333 (Capacity Building), Foreign Military Financing and International Military Education and Training – materially adds to Baku’s equipment stores, tactical abilities and offensive capabilities, and frees up state resources for renewed cross-border action against both Artsakh and Armenia. In addition to the material impact the provision of military assistance has had on Azerbaijan’s capacity to wage its war of aggression against the Armenian people, the continuation of US military assistance is viewed by Azerbaijan as a green-light for renewed aggression against Armenia and Artsakh.

In light of Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of Artsakh and the humanitarian crisis it has created – which the Administration has noted undermines the prospects for peace in the region – the ANCA contends that the Administration should strictly enforce Section 907 and that Congress, for its part, should rescind the President’s authority to waive this provision of US law and enact statutory prohibitions on any new US military or security aid to Azerbaijan.

Armenia

The ANCA is explaining to legislators, new and old, that Armenia – an ancient Christian nation deeply rooted in Western democratic values – has, despite the crushing economic impact of Turkish and Azerbaijani aggression and blockades, stepped forward as an ally and partner for the United States on a broad array of complex regional challenges. Armenia is a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace, and the Armenian military has been among the highest per capita providers of peacekeepers to US-led deployments, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kosovo and Mali. Today, given the existential regional threats to the Armenian homeland, the ANCA is pressing policy-makers to urgently prioritize the security and viability of Artsakh and Armenia above domestic and reform agendas.

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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.


Suspect taken into custody for attempted murder of Ararat Mirzoyan during 2020 Yerevan riots

Emma Jilavian

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 10:21,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. A man suspected of being one of the assailants who severely battered Ararat Mirzoyan when he was Speaker of Parliament in 2020 has been taken into custody.

The arrest was made in an ongoing criminal investigation into the 10 November 2020 riots in Yerevan, when a crowd of demonstrators attacked then-Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan, who is now the Foreign Minister, and breached into Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s official residence. The suspect is remanded in pre-trial detention.

The National Security Service said the suspect had joined the crowd of protesters in the Demirchyan-Proshyan intersection in Yerevan and noticed that Speaker of Parliament Ararat Mirzoyan’s vehicle was stuck in traffic. When the protesters had already taken Mirzoyan out of the car and he was on the ground, the suspect approached him and started kicking Mirzoyan together with other assailants in the head and other parts of the body. The suspect sought to murder Speaker Mirzoyan, the NSS said. Mirzoyan suffered multiple fractures of the skull, among other injuries.

Mirzoyan was saved by his bodyguards and taken to the Erebuni hospital.

PM Pashinyan congratulates Mongolia’s PM Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene on Lunar New Year

Emma Jilavian

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 14:01,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sent a congratulatory message to the Prime Minister of Mongolia Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

The message reads as follows,

“Your Excellency,

I warmly congratulate you on the Lunar New Year.

May this holiday, traditionally celebrated in Mongolia, which heralds the arrival of spring, bring warmth, love and harmony to all families.

I am confident that mutual respect and understanding between the Armenian and Mongol peoples can be the basis for the expansion and development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

I sincerely hope that with joint efforts we will manage to give a qualitatively new impetus to the Armenian-Mongolian relations for the benefit of our peoples.

I wish you good health and new success, and peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Mongolia.”

Ararat Mirzoyan and Stefano Tomat discuss issues related to the new EU civilian monitoring mission

Emma Jilavian

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 20:24,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. On February 20, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received the delegation headed by Stefano Tomat, the Civilian Operations Commander of the European External Action Service of the EU.  Markus Ritter, Head of Mission of the European Union Mission in Armenia, was also present.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, issues related to the EU’s new civilian monitoring mission were at the core of the discussions held during the meeting.

“Highly appreciating the decision to deploy a long-term EU civilian mission in Armenia, Minister Mirzoyan expressed confidence that the mission will make an important contribution to stability in the region and ensuring the safety of the population living in the border regions with Azerbaijan,” the message reads.

Reference was also made to the overall security situation in the region and the efforts of Armenia and the international community aimed at establishing peace.