After days of debate, on June 13, the Yerevan Municipality decided to dismantle the city’s Firdusi District.
Home to historic 19th century buildings, the area will be dismantled to make room for modern residential and business projects. The decision is highly contested by activists and architects.
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ARF Orange County ‘Armen Karo’ Chapter Chair Garo Kiledjian discussing Artsakh security and the flawed Madrid Principles with ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian in a Facebook Live Presentation hosted by the Orange County, California community organizations.
SANTA ANA, Calif.—A wide array of Orange County community organizations joined forces recently with the Armenian National Committee of America in hosting an online question and answer session on the ongoing Artsakh peace negotiations, the reckless Madrid Principles, and the path forward to a truly durable, democratic resolution of Artsakh-Azerbaijan status and security issues.
The June 2nd Facebook Live event, moderated by ARF Orange County ‘Armen Karo’ Chapter Chair Garo Kiledjian, featured a presentation by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
“The Orange County community appreciated the opportunity to have an in-depth discussion with the ANCA about the flawed Madrid Principles which put Artsakh security and freedom in jeopardy,” explained Kiledjian. “They should be rejected immediately and replaced with a balanced plan based upon the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh.” Kiledjian continued, noting “it is particularly disturbing to hear of the U.S. State Department’s efforts to de-fund life-saving Artsakh demining projects, particularly when military assistance to Artsakh has increased to over $100 million. Such decisions only serve to put U.S. impartiality as a mediator in question as we continue to seek a long-term, sustainable Artsakh solution.”
Kiledjian opened the online forum asking Hamparian to review the ANCA’s policies, priorities, and results on a broad range of issues from justice for the Armenian Genocide, to US-Armenian ties, US foreign assistance, US-Turkey ties, and the ANCA’s commitment to youth empowerment. Hamparian noted that the ANCA’s positions in each of these areas are part of a 360-degree advocacy strategy, with a single aim: the security, prosperity, and long-term viability of a free, independent, and united Armenian homeland.
The discussion then focused on the central theme of the evening, US policy on Artsakh, during which time Hamparian and Kiledjian took a deep dive into U.S. aid to Artsakh and the ongoing peace negotiations, including the unjust Madrid principles, highlights of which are provided below.
The Madrid Principles: Unfair, Fake, and Unenforceable
Hamparian offered an overview of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group supported “Madrid Principles,” first referenced by the Artsakh peace mediators some 13 years ago. The flawed proposal calls for a phased Artsakh settlement in which the Armenian side would cede six or more territories liberated during the 1988-1994 war with Azerbaijan in return for an “_expression_ of will,” to be held at an undetermined time in the future, which purportedly would ensure security and determine its long-term status.
The deal is “land now, status later; you might say, land now, for peace later; or land now, for status later; or land now, for a piece of paper that talks about status and peace later,” explained Hamparian. “Those terms are so ridiculously unfair that I don’t think there is more that needs to be said. Would anyone of the [OSCE] mediators – the Russians, the French, the Americans – take a deal like that for their own house? Would they accept a deal where they sign over the title to their home in return for an agreement to talk about compensation down the road.”
Hamparian described the Madrid Principles as a “fake deal”, noting that even-before being negotiated and agreed upon, Azerbaijani government officials are walking away from the agreement, arguing that upon Armenian ‘return’ of lands, the people of Artsakh should rely on Azerbaijani government security guarantees extended to Artsakh’s Armenian and Azerbaijani communities.
“So you give up all your land, you give up all your security, you put at risk the rest of Armenia, and in return, you get a deal worse than what we had under the Soviets. A deal worse than before Azerbaijan lost a war against Artsakh,” explained Hamparian. “Having established an independent Artsakh, having built a free and open society, having held free and fair elections for more than a generation, why would we cede all of that in order to go back to where we were under the Soviets, in the process trusting Azerbaijan that Aliyev won’t take advantage of the process and just press for more concessions?”
Hamparian also argued that the Madrid Principles are totally unenforceable, noting “all the concessions the Armenian side is expected to make are made on day one. After that first stage, Azerbaijan will control this historic Armenian homeland, will control the strategic territories and heights, and the Armenian side will be left with a piece of paper. What is that piece of paper worth? If Azerbaijan responds in good faith to an Armenian good faith surrender of territory, then possibly down the road, you could have peace. But does anyone believe, for even a second, that Azerbaijan responds in good faith? Isn’t it much more likely, in fact certain, that Azerbaijan would leverage those concessions to then take the next steps against Zangezur, and the rest of Armenia? It’s hard to believe that Armenian concessions lead to a less aggressive Azerbaijan.”
Hamparian continued that the other part of the deal’s unenforceability is the international community’s response to future Azerbaijani aggression. “Let’s say Azerbaijan doesn’t honor its commitments, and the Armenians find themselves under attack. Does anyone think that international peacekeepers from wherever – do we think those countries will send their young men and women to fight and die to protect the citizens of Artsakh? You might, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it.”
The ANCA has set up a community action alert – anca.org/rejectmadrid – sharing concerns about the reckless Madrid Principles with Members of Congress.
On U.S. State Department Efforts to End Artsakh Demining Assistance to “Prepare Populations for Peace”
Kiledjian asked the ANCA’s Hamparian for an update on recent U.S. Embassy to Armenia announcements that the life-saving U.S. funding for Artsakh demining would be replaced by programs to “prepare populations for peace” as part of ongoing efforts for an Artsakh settlement.
“If preparing populations for peace requires killing a humanitarian demining program, that’s very bad preparation,” said Hamparian. “In fact, that’s the opposite of preparing populations for peace. Every landmine accident – in Artsakh, Azerbaijan, or Armenia – are tragedies, with the victims often farmers, and many times children. So the concept that our government – the U.S. government – believes that preparing populations for peace means leaving landmines in the ground that will kill people – is just terrible.”
Hamparian went on to state, “ You can’t throw out a clever phrase like ‘preparing populations for peace,’ and expect us not to scrutinize it. On the surface, who could conceivably be against that? Well, if it’s just a matter of arm-twisting Yerevan, pressuring Stepanakert, with no similar pressure on the Azerbaijani side – then we reject that. That’s just a game.”
The ANCA is working with Appropriations Committee members in the U.S. Senate and House to ensure continued funds for Artsakh de-mining and rehabilitation services like those provided by the Lady Cox Rehabilitation Center are included in the Fiscal Year 2021 foreign aid bill. A nationwide call to action is available at anca.org/aid.
Artsakh Must Be an Equal Party in the Peace Process
“It is a generally accepted principle of international law that agreements shouldn’t be made about parties; agreements should be made with parties,” explained Hamparian, when asked about the absence of the Republic of Artsakh at the OSCE-mediated peace talks. “Azerbaijan is obviously against this because they feel it will prejudice the outcome. They didn’t feel that way in 1994, when they were losing on the battlefield. They were eager to sign an agreement with Armenia and Artsakh that established a cease-fire. […] Now, that the ceasefire is in effect, they want to push Artsakh as far away as possible. That’s wrong on moral grounds, because you can’t make decisions for people. It’s wrong on legal grounds because it’s against every principle of international law to sign accord about people, without the participation of the party in question. It’s also not sustainable. If Azerbaijan is in fact interested in a sustainable solution to Artsakh, it needs to sit at the table with the leaders of Artsakh. That’s ultimately where this issue gets resolved,” concluded Hamparian.
The ANCA is leading efforts to secure passage of Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Artsakh Travel and Communication Act (H.Res.190), which calls for more open U.S.-Artsakh dialogue and for the Republic of Artsakh to join Armenia and Azerbaijan as an equal partner in the negotiating process. To encourage Congressional support for the initiative, visit anca.org/USArtsakh.
The Facebook Live event was sponsored by the Orange County ARF Armen Karo Chapter, ANCA Orange County Chapter, Forty Martyrs Armenian Apostolic Church, Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School, AYF Ashod Yergat Chapter, AYF Aghpiur Serop Juniors, ARS Sevan Chapter, ARS Karni Chapter, Homenetmen Sartarabad Chapter, and Hamazkayin Siamanto Chapter. The organizers thanked the ANCA for their continuous efforts in advocacy, community education, and for a successful informational event.
By Samvel Sukiasyan
NEWS.am Sport continues to represent young Armenian football players playing abroad and wishing to play for the national team of Armenia in the future.
Vitaly Zatikyan, 16, plays for the American FC Denver U17.
“I was born on December 7, 2003, in the US. At 12, I played in the Premier League of Spain – División de Honor. From 2015 to 2017, I spent two seasons at the Barcelona Elite Academy,” he said.
“Then I returned to the US, I performed at the academies of the LAFC and Real Colorado clubs. At 16, I moved to FC Denver.”
“My main language is Spanish. I also speak Armenian (Western Armenian dialect), English, and gradually improve my Russian,” he added.
“I hope that I will receive an invitation to the youth team of Armenia. I will join the team of my homeland without any thought. It will be a great honor for me,” Vitaly noted.
Embassy of India welcomes Yerevan’s decision on installing Gandhi statue
17:21,
YEREVAN, MAY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of India in Armenia has welcomed the Yerevan City Council’s decision to install the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city.
“It is with great joy that the Embassy of India, Yerevan greets the recent decision of the Yerevan Council of Elders to install the statue of Mahatma Gandhi being gifted by India to the city. This will be a befitting tribute to a great world leader on the occasion of the worldwide 150th anniversary celebration of Gandhiji. This will also be a symbol of the age-old historical and friendly relations between India and Armenia. It is worthwhile to mention that relations between India and Armenia have centuries old roots which go as early as 149 BC. In the medieval India, there was a vibrant and prosperous Armenian community in India. The first Armenian Church was built in 1562 in India and till date we proudly preserve the rich heritage culture and architecture of Armenia in the cities of Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Lucknow and Surat. Not only Churches and other monuments, but also Armenian cemeteries are preserved in the Indian land. These symbol of friendship remained intact during troubled times of World War I. During modern times, our relations have strengthened and deepened. India was one of the early countries which recognized the independent Armenia. Our bilateral relations in today’s world are excellent which goes beyond our cultural links and covers political, economic, commercial, humanitarian, security and other aspects. India has also proudly participated in technological advancement of Armenia through the one of its kind India-Armenia Centre of Excellence in IT, in which more than one-third of total IT resources of Armenia have been trained and, which is a vital strength of Armenian economy and IT exports base. India and Armenia have a strong development partnership promoting sharing of expertise, knowledge and capacity building through Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programmes and other scholarship programmes in India. In this context, the Embassy of India profusely thanks the Government of Armenia and the Yerevan Municipality for their adoption of the decision to install the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Yerevan. It is a befitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, who belongs to entire humanity. The United Nations has declared the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the 2nd October as the International Day of Non-violence. It is our earnest hope that the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Yerevan will inspire the young generation about the teachings, principles and relevance of Mahatma Gandhi and promote the cause of peace and non-violence”, the embassy said in a statement.
Former Director of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) Artur Vanetsyan took to Twitter on Thursday to raise the need for the creation of a new anti-crisis government to handle the coronavirus situation in the country.
“The growing pace of the infection spread and the significantly increasing economic and social tensions are a serious threat to our country,” he tweeted.
“To avoid a humanitarian disaster we need a new anti-crisis government to bring the country out of this plight by uniting all forces,” Vanetsyan added.
The increasing pace of the spread of the infection, the significant increase in economic and social tension are a serious threat to our country.
In order to avoid a humanitarian disaster, a new anti-crisis government is needed, which will bring the country out of this difficult situation by uniting all possible forces.— Artur Vanetsyan (@ArturVanetsyan)
12:25,
YEREVAN, MAY 16, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is actively cooperating with its partners and international organizations on the sidelines of the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a press conference today, introducing 100 facts about new Armenia.
He reminded that in order to solve the problem of food, 0% import customs duty is applied on several goods which are imported from third countries to the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union until June 30. These goods include potato, onion, garlic, cabbage, carrot, pepper, rice, etc.
Pashinyan said the European Union will provide a total of 96 million Euros monetary or material-technical aid, the US – 1.7 million USD, and the World Bank – 3 million USD, to Armenia. He informed that due to the current crisis situation several international organizations and partner countries are planning to increase the amount of financial aid provided to Armenia.
“In particular, the International Monetary Fund plans to increase the financial aid provided to Armenia up to 280 million USD. Germany and Armenia signed an agreement on financial cooperation according to which Armenia will be provided with grants, technical assistance and loans with privileged interest rates, with a volume of more than 91 million Euros”, the Armenian PM said.
Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
12:42, 6 May, 2020
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government managed to keep the socio-economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus within the manageability framework with the help of the Parliament, but it’s still early to say that the crisis is over, the coronavirus crisis will continue at least in the upcoming year, until May 2021, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his remarks in the Parliament.
Talking about the utility payments, the PM said they have implemented 4 programs over the utility payments. The government compensated the utility bills of the citizens by nearly 5 billion drams with the assumption that people have debts, are unable to pay and need assistance. “Of course, this is true for a major segment, but as of today, nearly 2 billion drams out of these 5 billion AMD transfers went to the accounts as an advanced payment. It’s a proved statistics that in Armenia the subscribers from poor class are the most conscientious payers of utility bills. And according to our calculations, 800 million drams has been sent to the accounts of the people of this segment as a prepayment. According to our estimates, the 1.2 billion drams were sent to the accounts of the people who do not in fact need that”, the PM said.
“I have an honor to record that the government managed to keep the socio-economic crisis of the coronavirus within the manageability framework also with the help of the Parliament. But this doesn’t mean that the citizens of Armenia continue living in the same way as they did for instance in January or February. This means that fortunately we do not have a social collapse and crisis. But it will be wrong to think that the crisis is over or is passing, the crisis is just starting. And we record that during the upcoming year, until next May, we will still have a coronavirus crisis”, he said.
According to the latest data, the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Armenia has reached 2,782, out of which 1,135 have already recovered. The active cases are 1,600. The death toll has reached 40.
In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global pandemic and named the virus COVID-19.
According to the data of the World Health Organization, coronavirus cases have been confirmed in more than 210 countries and territories.
Reporting by Anna Grigoryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
ArmInfo.Today’s meeting of the Armenian parliament was marked with a fight.
MP from the My Step faction Sasun Mikaelyan, unexpectedly responded to the speech of Edmon Marukyan, the leader of the Bright Armenia faction, first attacking Marukyan with unpleasant words and then with fists. Other lawmakers as well as members of the Armenian government intervened in the brawl. In particular, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan tried to separate the brawlers.
Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan tried to declare a break. However, the situation was brought under control, after which Marukyan continued his speech, demanding an additional 10 minutes from the chairman. “No matter how much you beat me, do not make me silent anyway,” said the MP, whose speech was constantly interrupted by the same Sasun Mikaelyan. This again made Marukyan lose his temper. “Leave your Shmays (former deputy Arakel Movsisyan nicknamed “Shmays”, distinguished by his violent temper – ed.) habits. It’s enough this culture should be eradicated. And do not beat me from behind on the back>, the MP said. In the end, the speaker nevertheless announced a break.