Author: Hovhannisian John

 12:30, 2 May 2023

YEREVAN, MAY 2, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have a preliminary agreement to hold a meeting in Moscow as well, MP Arman Yeghoyan (Civil Contract) told reporters when asked on the trilateral talks in Washington D.C.

Yeghoyan said there is preliminary agreement to hold a foreign ministerial in Russia.

“According to this agreement, a meeting must take place in Moscow as well,” he said.

The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also said last week that the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers are to meet in Moscow. She did not mention timeframes.

 10:17,

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Azerbaijan, Ian Liddell-Granger (United Kingdom, EC/DA) and Lise Christoffersen (Norway, SOC), and the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Armenia, Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC) and Boriana Åberg (Sweden, EPP/CD), have made the following statement:

“We renew our call for the restoration of freedom of movement along the Lachin corridor issued on 16 December 2022, and we recall the decision of the European Court of Human Rights of 21 December 2022 under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, and the order made by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 22 February 2023; the latter indicating that “Azerbaijan shall […] take all measures at its disposal to ensure the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions. We take note that Armenia has indicated that it will appeal to the ICJ concerning the installation, on 23 April, of a checkpoint along the Lachin corridor. We urge Azerbaijan and Armenia to refrain from any unilateral steps that could further complicate the negotiation efforts supported by the EU at the highest level and through the presence of the EU Mission in Armenia. We call for an intensification of negotiations on border issues and the settlement of all disputes by peaceful means.”

PACE rapporteur Paul Gavan (Ireland, UEL) has also sought access to the Lachin corridor to see at first hand the situation on the ground.

 13:35,

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia has called on the organisers of the “2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix” European tournament – due to take place in Baku – and the international sports community to raise a voice of protest regarding Azerbaijan’s policy of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh.

Below is the full statement released by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia.

 

“The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia calls on the organisers of the “2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix” European tournament and the international sports community to raise a voice of protest regarding the ethnic cleansing policy of the Azerbaijani authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh.The Ministry draws the attention of the sports community to the fact that since December 12, 2022, the Republic of Azerbaijan has illegally blocked the Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to both Armenia and the world, creating an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. On February 22, 2023, the United Nations International Court of Justice satisfied Armenia’s claim, obliging Azerbaijan to open the Lachin Corridor immediately. To this day, Azerbaijan has not only failed to comply with the court’s decision but has also cut off gas and electricity supplies. On April 23, the Azerbaijani authorities set up an illegal checkpoint on the humanitarian corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, taking 120,000 Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh hostage. With this policy, the Azerbaijani authorities are trying to ethnically cleanse the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, forcing them to leave their native land.The organisation of the “2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix” European tournament in Baku aims to cover up the policy of extermination of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.We call on the organisers and participants of the “2023 Formula 1 Grand Prix” not to be part of the cover-up of the policy of ethnic cleansing.”

 14:45, 21 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan believes that law enforcement agencies must change their methods and strategy in combating drug trafficking.

“Drug use has undergone modification. Today, narcotics are some colored tablets, which look nice, and that’s the most horrifying part. Because in the 1990s, by saying drug addict we would imagine some dark views, but now that view is nice, and that’s why we have a very serious challenge in this regard among the teenagers,” Vardapetyan said, adding that she has asked the director of the National Security Service and the Minister of Internal Affairs to upgrade their methods of investigating drug trafficking.

She warned that the drug trafficking methods have changed significantly.

In the past, authorities knew how drug traffickers were operating in any given neighborhood, whereas today it is happening online. “This is all related to money laundering because there are transferred and cashed out crypto-currencies. In addition, it is circulated through e-wallets, thus a renewed format of investigation and prevention are among our priorities,” Vardapetyan said.

 13:01,

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. Not only Russia but Armenia is also ready for the deployment of a CSTO monitoring mission to its border with Azerbaijan, PM Nikol Pashinyan said.

“Not only Russia is ready, Armenia is also ready. We’ve outlined the circle of our concerns, and basically our desire is for the possible mission to be effective. This is important for both Armenia, the CSTO and the region. And we continue to work in this direction,” he said.

Pashinyan urged to differentiate the CSTO from the EU mission when asked on the work of the EU monitors.

“The CSTO has security obligations towards the Republic of Armenia, so does Armenia, which, as a member state, and Chairman in 2022, it fully implemented. The EU mission can’t be placed in the same dimension as the CSTO mission. Thus, our expectations from the CSTO mission must be a lot higher than from the EU mission,” Pashinyan said.

He added that the EU mission is a long-term mission, and it’s only been two months since its launch, and it hasn’t even fully deployed yet and the process in ongoing.

 12:08,

YEREVAN, APRIL 18, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that he sees a big chance to establish normal relations with Turkey.

Pashinyan said the opportunity for doing so increased after Armenia humanely responded to the earthquake in Turkey.

“There is a big opportunity to establish normal relations between our countries,” Pashinyan said when speaking about the relations with Turkey in parliament during debates of the 2022 report of the government action plan.

“And this opportunity increased when we decided to respond, with the logic based on humane, good-neighborly values to the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey in the beginning of this year. And the government and public of Turkey perceived and accepted our actions as such.”

Pashinyan said they wouldn’t have made the decision to send a SAR team and humanitarian aid if not for the changed perspective of perceiving history and related issues. And Turkey wouldn’t have opened the Margara Bridge for the rescue squad and aid if it were not to believe in Armenia’s sincerity.

“And the dozens of Armenian flags flying in front of the Turkish foreign ministry during Foreign Minister Mirzoyan’s Ankara visit weren’t simply a protocol attribute, but rather a surprising [realization] that hope can [be found in despair]. The flags of Armenia and Turkey were hoisted on the ruins of our relations and the devastating earthquake. And I hope that the Armenian-Turkish border will soon really be opened and will create the foundation for the development of good-neighborly, normal relations,” PM Pashinyan said.

 Pashinyan attached importance that soon the agreement on opening the border for third country citizens and diplomatic passport holders will take effect. He warned that the opening could not take place if the new perceptions and impressions gained through humanitarian and neighborly values were to get frozen, fade or lose impact on political and diplomatic decisions.

 16:22,

YEREVAN, APRIL 15, ARMENPRESS. On the evening of April 14, between 19:00 and 23:00, the Azerbaijani armed forces opened fire in the direction of the Sotk mine. On the morning of April 15, the shooting resumed, as a result of which a decision was made to stop the operation of the mine and evacuate the employees due to safety reasons, “GeoProMining Gold” company representative Ruzanna Grigoryan told ARMENPRESS.

“At the moment, the situation is calm, there are no shootings, but the work of the mine remains suspended,” she said.

ARMENPRESS also established contact with Aram Torosyan, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, in order to obtain official information.

“In case of any intense violation of the ceasefire by the adversary, the Ministry of Defense will issue a corresponding message,” the spokesperson emphasized.

The Genocide Education Project announced the appointment of Kerri Flynn as their new Education Director.

Flynn has been a high school social studies educator for 25 years. She teaches Modern U.S. History and has also created a Human Rights and Genocide course at her school, Washington High School, near St. Louis, Missouri. She received the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator award in 2022 and serves as Executive Secretary for the Missouri Council for the Social Studies. She also teaches Sociology and Psychology at East Central College.

Flynn is one of GenEd’s first GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program participants and has also taken part in numerous other, in-depth professional development programs for teachers related to human rights, the Holocaust and other genocides, and WWII. “We welcome Kerri as she assumes this new leadership role in the GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program and the opportunities it has created for greatly increasing the number of teachers equipped to teach about genocide and the Armenian case,” said Executive Director, Roxanne Makasdjian.

The 2023 GenEd Teacher Fellows gathered for the first time in March via video call, where they got to know each other and GenEd team members

“I am so excited to join GenEd and continue helping educators learn about the Armenian Genocide and gain the skills they need to take this information back to their students. Becoming the Education Director is such a great opportunity as I am passionate about human rights and genocide education. With GenEd, I can continue learning and teaching after retiring from the classroom,” said Flynn.

Fifteen secondary school educators from 14 U.S. states have been selected to participate in the one-year GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program, including a 10-day intensive professional development trip to Armenia in July, based at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, after which the GenEd Teacher Fellows will lead their own teacher training activities for their peers.

Brenda Boehler (Tucson, AZ) teaches World History, Western Civilization, IB Theory of Knowledge, and she serves as Social Studies Chair at Cholla High School. Brenda has lived and taught in England, Ukraine, and Russia. She says her passion is empowering students with new possibilities.

Sarah Dixen (Winona, MN) teaches AP World History, Human Geography, AP Government, and Service Learning at Winona Senior High School. She also serves as Social Studies chair. Having taught and developed a Master of Education program for 10 years, she returned to high school teaching to work more closely with students and her content area. 

Misty Ebinger (New London, OH) An educator for 21 years, Ebinger teaches history and government courses, as well as a course in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. She serves on the board of Ohio’s Holocaust and Genocide Education Network, representing small, rural school districts. 

David Green (Acton, MA) In his 28-year tenure, Green has taught World history, United States history, and Psychology and is in his 8th year as Acton Boxborough Regional High School’s Social Studies chair. After travels to Armenia and the Middle East, Green says he plans to formalize those experiences with new insights from this fellowship.

Leigh-Ann Hendrick (Chautauqua, NY) is the director of the Holocaust and Social Justice Education Program of Chautauqua, a co-founding director of the Chautauqua County Summer Institute for Human Rights and Genocide, and a US Holocaust Memorial Museum Fellow. As a 24-year social studies teacher, Hendrik says she strives to empower students and educators to take an active role in our shared humanity.

Don Jenkins (Oak Harbor, WA) is a teacher at North Whidbey Middle School. He has been teaching social studies for 30 years and included the Armenian Genocide in his courses on Pacific Northwest history and United States history.  Last summer, he traveled to Poland with the Pilecki Institute with teachers from all over the world to learn about the impact of totalitarianism during the 20th century.

Cynthia Martinez (Felton, CA) has been teaching Social Studies for 26 years. She currently teaches 12th-grade Economics & AP Government and 10th-grade World History at San Lorenzo Valley High School. She serves as Social Studies department chair, is leading the creation of her school’s ethnic studies program, and is drafting a GenEd curriculum unit on Armenian Genocide resistance.

Regina Bouroudjian Odishoo (Libertyville, IL) is a special education teacher and certified speech/language pathologist. With a doctorate in Reading, Language, and Literacy, she co-teaches U.S. History and teaches Literacy at Libertyville High School. Her Armenian/Assyrian heritage was the catalyst for incorporating genocide into her curriculum to help students build a more inclusive and accepting society. 

Mary Ellen Richichi (Jupiter, FL) teaches Holocaust and Genocide Studies, World Geography, and Global Perspectives, and brought the Holocaust elective course to Independence Middle School. She also runs the Culture Club and the UN Club where her students connect with students around the world in real time. 

Jennifer Sepetys (West Bloomfield, MI) teaches AP US Government and Politics, Global Studies of Genocide, and Positive Psychology and serves as Social Studies chair at West Bloomfield High School. She was honored as 2022-23 Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Department of Education for Region 9. Sepetys is pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Oakland University.

Katherine Todhunter (Northampton, MA) has been teaching about the history of genocide for twenty-one years at Northampton High School. She is also a History lecturer at Smith College and is the program supervisor for its History student teachers. Todhunter, who has participated in numerous study tours, has a BA in Peace and Global Studies with a focus on Russia and graduate degrees in Geography and International Development and in Education.

Debra Troxell (Winston-Salem, NC) is a National Board Certified Teacher. She teaches AP Human Geography, International Relations, and World History at West Forsyth High School.  She also serves as the Social Studies department chair, the District Coordinator for National Boards, and has extensive experience providing professional development training for teachers. 

Kristi Ugland (Mt. Pleasant, SC) is an English teacher at Palmetto Christian Academy. She teaches World Literature, AP English Literature, and Senior Thesis Seminar. Ugland has created and taught courses on Holocaust and Genocide History, 20th Century History and Literature, and Collective Memory. She is a US Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellow, works with South Carolina Council on the Holocaust, and holds an MA in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. 

Emily Wardrop, Ph.D. (Oklahoma City, OK) teaches interdisciplinary studies and several advanced topic history seminar courses (including a Genocide seminar) at Casady School. In addition to teaching, Emily serves as the History department chair, a member of the school’s Academic Leadership team, and as a co-advisor to Casady’s Youth in Government club.

Michael Xiarhos (Warwick, RI) teaches Philosophy, Genocide Studies, and AP Psychology at Pilgrim High School. He also teaches Theological Studies at Salve Regina University. Xiarhos has degrees in Education, Modern European History, and Philosophy. He has written several articles for academic journals on ethics, religion, and the importance of student travel and has taken students to more than 20 countries during his 19-year teaching career.

 18:56, 21 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, ARMENPRESS. On March 21, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan received the delegation of the Germany-South Caucasus friendship group of the German Bundestag, headed by the vice-chairman of the group, Tabea Rößner.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the Deputy Foreign Minister, welcoming the visit of the German Bundestag’s delegation to Armenia, emphasized inter-parliamentary contacts in the development of Armenian-German relations. The interlocutors discussed a wide range of issues related to Armenian-German relations.

Presenting to the German parliamentarians the complex security situation in the region, as well as the consequences of the aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, Paruyr Hovhannisyan emphasized the role of the EU’s long-term observation mission in stabilizing the situation.

The Deputy FM also emphasized that Azerbaijan’s illegal blocking of the Lachin Corridor, the killing of police officers, periodic violations of the ceasefire regime, as well as the intimidation of the civilian population make sending an international fact-finding mission to Nagorno Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor an imperative.