Author: Garo Vardanian

Armenia’s identity yesterday and today

Garo Vardanian
Feb 15 2024
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Behind the ongoing discussions in Yerevan on whether to change the constitution, along with the national symbol and anthem, there is not only the Nagorno Karabakh issue. At stake is above all the affirmation of the 'duty to pursue the interests of the entire Armenian world', which risks looking at the history of the past rather than the interests of the citizens of Armenia today. The knot of relations with Moscow.

Yerevan (AsiaNews) – Discussions continue in Armenia over whether the constitution should be changed, along with the national symbol and anthem, following proposals made by Prime Minister Nikol Pašinyan. The deputy of the majority party of the Civil Accord, Vaagn Aleksanyan, commented in an interview with Ota on the opposition's accusations that the current leadership intends to "distort the identity of the Armenian people". In his opinion, 'very deep dimensions of our life are at stake in this debate, which we must address together, otherwise we will not be able to move forward'.

There are several elements that need to be clarified, Aleksanyan insists, both in the text of the constitution and in the very symbolism included in the national coat of arms, with the shield between the eagle and the lion (wisdom and pride) representing Mount Ararat with Noah's ark on top (the biblical mountain now in Turkish territory) and the rest of the territory sinking into the waves of Lake Sevan below. He observes that 'it is certainly not a positive identity to have a people living underwater in a foreign land'. The paintings on the sides of the mountain present with images of plants and animals the four kingdoms of Armenian history, the Bagratids, the Aršakids, the Artašesids and the Rubenids, of which the present population now knows very little.

Today's Armenia is in fact just a peripheral remnant of the ancient kingdom, the first Christian state in history, then almost completely annihilated by the Ottoman Turks until the genocide in the early 1900s, and saved substantially by the support of the Soviet Russians. Aleksanyan is convinced that 'we must understand our identity today, it is neither necessary nor possible to do so in a few days, but we must at least start talking about it'. The loss of the Artsakh conquered by the Azeris is one of the triggers for this new realisation, along with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine itself.

In this sense, it is important to clarify the proposal to remove from the constitution the reference to the Declaration of Independence, which states in practice that 'the Republic of Armenia as a state has the duty to pursue the interests of the entire Armenian world', making it very difficult to define what the interests of the many Armenians living in Russia and Ukraine, not to mention the disputed territories with Azerbaijan, are. He is convinced that 'Armenia's constitution must be about the interests of the people living in Armenia'.

One of the most heated aspects of the debate concerns the claims of Baku's president Ilham Aliev, to whom Prime Minister Pašinyan would like to submit. For Aleksanyan, 'it is a strange statement, whereby first Pašinyan says he wants to change the constitution, then the opposition says he wants to do it at Aliev's behest, and only at the end does Aliev say: yes, I want you to change the constitution'. Indeed, it is not clear what Aliev's wish consists of, except for the references to Nagorno Karabakh, which are not explicit anywhere in the text.

According to Pašinyan, Armenia must become 'a competitive and autonomous country in the new geopolitical conditions', and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also called it 'an exaggeration' to consider the process of regulating Armenian-Azerbaijani relations as the sole cause of the amendment to the state's basic law. In addition to the rhetorical skirmishes with Azerbaijan, with which tensions continue to remain very high, with constant episodes of local conflicts on the borders, the issue of the 'new identity' affects the relationship with Russia in even deeper ways.

In Pašinyan's recent interview with The Telegraph, which is also fuelling discussion and controversy, the premier stated that 'relations with Moscow should no longer be one of stable alliance, but of simple partnership, as with the United States and the European Union'. A stance far more radical than local issues, severing bridges with Armenia's ancient and recent past.

 

Prime Minister of Armenia, President of Iraqi Kurdistan meet in Munich

Garo Vardanian

 17:49,

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 17, ARMENPRESS.  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with the President of Iraqi Kurdistan Nechirvan Idris Barzani, the PM's Office said.

The interlocutors emphasized the continuous development of trade and economic cooperation. In that context, the need to expand and deepen business ties was emphasized.

The sides also exchanged views on other topics of regional importance.

Donors and Employers United to Double Impact for ARS-WUSA

Garo Vardanian
by Contributor

 

 February 9, 2024

 

in Latest, News, Top Stories


The Armenian Relief Society of Western USA extends its heartfelt appreciation to its generous donors who participate in employer matching programs, effectively doubling the impact of their contributions to the organization’s humanitarian mission.

Recently, the ARS of Western USA has seen an increase from young professionals and individuals from the community, supported by their employers, that have come together to amplify their support to charitable causes through the region. Through these employer matching contributions, donors have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to making a lasting difference for various programs.

Major donors include Vache Shirikian and Talar Boyadjian, alongside many others, who have made matching contributions from companies throughout the years. The region is part of the nonprofit partners of Benevity, which provides a platform for corporate giving programs.

“We are greatly appreciative for the individuals, who have not only opened their hearts to support our causes but have also taken the extra step to participate in employer matching programs. The collaboration between donors and their employers is a powerful example of uniting together to create positive change and fostering community engagement,” stated Vicky Marashlian, ARS Regional Executive Board Chairperson.

For more information and ways to get involved, contact the ARS Regional Headquarters at (818) 500-1343 or [email protected].

Asbarez: ARF Bureau Chairman Meets With Artsakh President

Garo Vardanian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 February 6, 2024

 

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

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

The chairman of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau, Hagop Der-Khachadourian, met with Artsakh President Samuel Shahramanyan on Tuesday. ARF Artsakh Central Committee chair, Arthur Mossiyan, was also present.

During the meeting, issues related to the imperative to preserve the state structures of Artsakh, the return of forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians to their and protection of their rights, as well as the socio-economic and legal situation of Artsakh Armenians in Armenia were discussed, the ARF Press Service reported.

Shahramanyan presented his perspective on the status of Artsakh and future steps.

The ARF Bureau chairman briefed the Artsakh leader on the effort of the ARF and Hai Tahd offices around the world and their advocacy on behalf of Artsakh Armenians.

It was decided to continue such meetings.

Armenpress: Turkey approves Sweden’s NATO membership bid after 20-month delay

Garo Vardanian

 10:52,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 24, ARMENPRESS. Turkey's parliament ratified Sweden's NATO membership bid on Tuesday after 20 months of delay, Reuters reports. 

Turkey's general assembly, where President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling alliance holds a majority, voted 287-55 to approve the application that Sweden first made in 2022 to bolster its security in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

All NATO members need to approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance. When Sweden and Finland asked to join in 2022, Turkey raised objections over what it said was the two countries' protection of groups it deems terrorists.

It endorsed Finland's membership in April last year but, along with Hungary, had kept Sweden waiting.

"We support NATO enlargement to improve the alliance's deterrence efforts… We hope Finland and Sweden's attitude towards fighting terrorism sets an example for our other allies," Fuat Oktay, head of parliament's foreign affairs commission and a ruling AK Party member, said during debate.

"I greatly appreciate the Turkish Parliament's decision to approve Sweden's entry into NATO today," U.S. Ambassador Jeff Flake said in a written statement on Tuesday.

He said Turkey's "commitment to the NATO Alliance clearly demonstrates our enduring partnership."

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom also welcomed the Turkish parliament's approval. "We now look forward to President Erdogan signing the ratification document," Billstrom said in a written statement.

Erdogan is expected to sign the legislation within days, leaving Hungary as the only member state not to have approved Sweden's accession.

AW: Glimpses into the ARF Photo Archives: Many Men, Magnificent Mustaches

Garo Vardanian
 Nareg Seferian Research, History, Special Reports 0

As mentioned in “Glimpses into the ARF Photo Archives: What is an Archive, Anyway?”, the materials in the collection offer a mix of items from the late 19th century on, capturing some recognizable historical figures and moments as well as images that have, for good reason or by chance, ended up among the 3,500 or so photographs across almost 40 boxes.

While going through the pictures, smoothing out the kinks in the catalog, performing additional research where needed, and uploading the images onto the website, I have pondered on a few themes and take-aways to share. This series of articles for The Armenian Weekly is meant to draw  attention to these pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of Armenian history and, above all, to invite readers to have a look at arfarchives.org/photograph for themselves. You never know what you might find there: an ancestor or relative, a friend, or an accompaniment to a school project or community event.

In the previous article in the series, I noted that there are many items marked “unknown” in the collection – especially “Unknown Man.” Here is one typical such entry.

ARF Photograph Archives – Box 3, Photo 61

Another similar image is, to me, among the most arresting of the portraits in the ARF photo archives.

ARF Photograph Archives – Box 3, Photo 27

There is a depth to the _expression_ in this picture that makes me consider it to be more of a work of art than a bureaucratic record.

These two pictures showcase a pattern of portraits, some of them with numbers noted on the back. They seem to be from the early 20th century, possibly members or recruits for the ARF in the United States.

Another, similar series is evidently from later, probably from the 1940s.

ARF Photograph Archives – Box 5, Photo 49 ARF Photograph Archives – Box 6, Photo 228

There is a chance these are images of prisoners of war from the Soviet army, at a camp in Germany – maybe the displaced persons at Funkerkaserne? But who would have taken these photographs and why, and how could they have ultimately found themselves in the ARF photo archives?

One of my favorite parts of going through the pictures is taking note of such mysteries and trying to solve them. Although the exact source of these images is yet to be verified, the quality of the pictures and the clothing certainly suggest a later time than the others displayed.

Those are some of the patterns to note in these specific pictures. One pattern in general in the ARF photo archives is that the unknowns are almost always of an “Unknown Man.” There are very few pictures in the collection that include women or depict women alone. This may not be so surprising, given the more patriarchal norms at the turn of the 20th century, but it is a pattern that holds even among the pictures from later.

Another, more fun, pattern to observe is the dapper fashion from the 1900s, 1910s or 1920s – the clothes, the hairstyles and the paraphernalia that went along with those decades.

ARF Photograph Archives – Box 4, Photo 215 ARF Photograph Archives – Box 6, Photo 158

Mustaches galore! The early 20th century was a time for unabashed facial hair. Out of the photographs uploaded so far, the most magnificent mustache award without a doubt goes to Garabed Bedrosian.

ARF Photograph Archives – Box 3, Photo 102

This was a bit more of a fun look at the ARF photo archives. Click through arfarchives.org/photograph and see if you can identify patterns or items of interest for yourself. A lot has happened in the past century and a half, needless to say. Many aspects of Armenian history and culture find their reflection among those photographs. Among other things, maybe you will find part of your family’s journey echoed in the pictures as well.

  •  Bio
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Nareg Seferian has lived, studied and worked in New Delhi, Yerevan, Santa Fe, Boston, Vienna, Istanbul and Washington, DC. His writings can be read at naregseferian.com.


Armenpress: Blast at Azerbaijani furniture workshop kills six

Garo Vardanian

 21:30, 15 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. An explosion at a furniture workshop in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Monday killed six people and injured two dozen others, officials said, reports Agence France-Presse.

"The bodies of six people have been found and removed from the rubble," the prosecutor's office said.

It is noted that at least 24 people were injured, three of whom were pulled from the rubble, it said earlier.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear but prosecutors said they had lanched a criminal investigation into a breach of "fire safety regulations".

Armenpress: We are ready to support initiatives that contribute to regional stability – Georgia on Crossroads of Peace project

Garo Vardanian

 09:48,

YEREVAN, JANUARY 16, ARMENPRESS. Georgia is prepared to collaborate with its neighboring countries to further the mutual goal of diversifying and strengthening regional communications, the Georgian Embassy in Armenia told Armenpress when asked on Tbilisi’s position regarding the Armenian government’s Crossroads of Peace project.

“We acknowledge the strategic significance of the Caucasus as a vital region for communications and its growing importance in connectivity. Georgia is prepared to collaborate with our neighboring countries to further our mutual goal of diversifying and strengthening regional communications. We are ready to support initiatives that contribute to regional stability, economic growth, and enhanced connectivity,” the Georgian embassy told Armenpress.

Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace project is designed to establish connections between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads.

Turkish Press: Azerbaijan’s president says delimitation concerning Gazakh-Tovuz region to be discussed with Armenia

Garo Vardanian
Yeni Şafak
Jan 11 2024
Azerbaijan's president says delimitation concerning Gazakh-Tovuz region to be discussed with Armenia

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Wednesday that the process of delimitation concerning the country's Gazakh-Tovuz Economic Region will be discussed with Armenia at an upcoming meeting of commissions responsible for the matter.

“The next meeting of the commissions is scheduled for this month, and this issue is on the agenda: the delimitation issue of that region, the Gazakh-Tovuz region,” Aliyev said during an interview with local television channels.

He said the issue of eight villages still under Armenian occupation is always on the agenda in talks between the two countries.

“This issue was discussed during my contacts with the prime minister of Armenia (Nikol Pashinyan), including the last conversation in St. Petersburg. I raised this issue, and this issue is also on the agenda of commissions dealing with delimitation.”

Aliyev said that Azerbaijan must fully restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty, adding they must solve this issue “once and for all” and there should not be “a single nest of separatism” anywhere in the country.

He later denied the need for guarantors, which he said is being sought by Armenia, expressing that the peace treaty needs to be signed at the bilateral level but that they don't mind if a third country expresses the desire to help.

“However, this help should not be mandatory,” he added.

Stressing that it is impossible to talk to them in “a language of threats or arrogance,” Aliyev said efforts to arm Armenia are aimed at keeping Azerbaijan “under constant pressure” and that France is at the forefront of such efforts.

“France is the country that arms Armenia, gives them support, trains their soldiers and prepares them for another war. When I said that France's policy is causing tensions in the Caucasus, this is exactly what I meant,” he said.

Aliyev further touched on the movement of cargo and citizens within Azerbaijan, indicating that it should take “place freely without undergoing any inspection.”

“Otherwise, Armenia will remain in an eternal deadlock, and if the (Zangezur) route I mentioned is not opened, we are not going to open our border with Armenia anywhere else. So they will do themselves more harm than good,” he said.

Aliyev went on to say that infrastructure projects in the Karabakh region give them the opportunity to return internally displaced peoples (IDPs) to their ancestral lands, adding that they plan on the return of Azerbaijani IDPs to the cities of Shusha, Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Khankendi and Khojaly in 2024.

“Former IDPs are expected to return to the cities of Aghdam, Zangilan and Gubadli in 2025,” he added.

https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/azerbaijans-president-says-delimitation-concerning-gazakh-tovuz-region-to-be-discussed-with-armenia-3675865