10:34,
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. President of the European Council Charles Michel has said that he discussed the Armenia-Azerbaijan relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the margins of G20. Discussed full spectrum of EU-Türkiye relations, the Black Sea Grain Initiative and regional situation, notably Armenia-Azerbaijan,” Michel said in a post on X.
17:32, 6 September 2023
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. In November 2022, right after receiving a banking license from RA Central Bank, Fast Bank applied for Visa International membership license to provide card issuing and acquiring services.
In May 2023, Fast Bank received a membership license as a result of close cooperation with Visa International.
“We are happy for this important achievement, as this license allows us to take another step in the implementation of banking products and get closer to our goals. We continue to actively cooperate with Visa in order to start issuing cards as soon as possible”, Rina Harutyunyan, Head of Card Technologies Service of Fast Bank said.
After receiving the membership license of Visa International, Fast Bank has started the work on providing the necessary infrastructure, in particular, the installation of ATMs.
The bank continues working closely with the Visa to start card issuance and launch acquiring services as soon as possible. Fast Bank is also actively working on the development and implementation of other banking products.
“Partnership with fintech companies plays fundamental role for Visa not only because of business development but this is also direct path to drive innovative solutions jointly with agile and full of curiosity challengers. Visa profound experience in payments and wide technology stack combined with innovative DNA of new players on financial market inevitably will lead to nascence of disruptive products. We believe that Fast Bank in Armenia is exactly such type of partner”, Yevgen Lisnyak, Visa Senior Director, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintech and Ventures in CISSEE said
About Visa Inc.
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
The landlocked mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is the subject of an unresolved territorial dispute between Azerbaijan, in which it lies, and its ethnic Armenian majority, backed by neighbouring Armenia.
It is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but much of it is governed by the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, also known as the Republic of Artsakh.
In 1988, towards the end of Soviet rule, fighting between Azerbaijani troops and Armenian secessionists left the de facto independent state in the hands of ethnic Armenians when a truce was signed in 1994.
Russian peacekeepers have been deployed since 2020 to monitor a new Moscow-brokered ceasefire, and also to ensure safe passage through the so-called “Lachin corridor” – which separates Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia.
While Armenia itself has never officially recognised the region’s independence, it has become its main financial and military backer and the breakaway territory functions as a de facto part of Armenia.
Talks have so far failed to produce a permanent peace agreement. Russia, France and the US co-chair the OSCE’s Minsk Group, which had been attempting to end the dispute but this has been thrown into doubt by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, The EU is also seeking to aid a peaceful resolution of the issue.
The authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh operate radio and TV services. Locals can also receive broadcasts from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia:
Key dates in the history of Nagorno-Karabakh:
The conflict has roots dating back well over a century into competition between Christian Armenian and Muslim Turkic and Persian influences.
19th Century – Populated for centuries by Christian Armenian and Turkic Azeris, Karabakh becomes part of the Russian empire.
early 20th Century – Acts of brutality on both sides punctuate the region’s relative peace, and live on in the popular memory.
1920s – After the end of World War One and the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the new Soviet rulers, as part of their divide-and-rule policy in the region, established the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, with an ethnic Armenian majority, within the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan.
1991 – With the break-up of the Soviet Union, Karabakh declares itself an independent republic, and as Soviet control loosens Armenian-Azeri frictions escalate into a full-scale war.
1992-94 – First Karabakh war: During the fighting up to 30,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives. Armenians gain control of the region and push on to occupy Azerbaijani territory outside Karabakh, creating a buffer zone around Lachin, linking Karabakh and Armenia.
More than one million people flee their homes during the fighting. The ethnic Azeri population – about 25% of the total before the war – leaves Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia while ethnic Armenians flee the rest of Azerbaijan.
1994 – Russian-brokered ceasefire is signed leaving Karabakh as well as swathes of Azeri territory around the territory in Armenian hands.
1994-2020 – A simmering stalemate prevails punctuated by armed clashes.
2017 – In a referendum, voters approve a new constitution turning the government from a semi-presidential to a fully presidential one. The territory changes its name from Nagorno Karabakh Republic to Republic of Artsakh, though both remain official names.
Karabakh is the Russian rendering of an Azeri word meaning “black garden”, while Nagorno is a Russian root meaning “mountainous”. Artsakh is an ancient Armenian name for the area.
2020 – Second Karabakh war: Azerbaijan launches an offensive that recaptures territory around Karabakh. Some 3,000 Azerbaijani soldiers and 4,000 Armenian soldiers are killed in six weeks of fighting.
Russian peacekeepers are deployed to monitor a new Moscow-brokered ceasefire, and also to ensure safe passage through the so-called “Lachin corridor” – which separates Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia.
Armenian forces agreed to return to Azerbaijan all occupied territory outside of the former Soviet Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.
2022 – Fighting breaks out between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops along the Armenia-Azerbaijan, with about 100 Armenian and 70 Azerbaijani soldiers killed in the clashes.
2022-23 – Armenia claims an Azerbaijani blockade on the Lachin corridor has led to a humanitarian crisis inside the territory. Baku insists the Lachin road should be open for civilians, whereas cargo deliveries should go via the Agdam-Xankandi/Stepanakert road.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18270325
The people of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan’s territory, are enduring a grim humanitarian situation. A blockade imposed by Azerbaijan has led to acute shortages of vital necessities, forcing residents into a life of hardship and uncertainty. Luke Harding, writing for The Guardian, provides an inside look at the unfolding crisis.
Hovig Asmaryan, a resident of the enclave’s capital, Stepanakert, described the daily struggle to feed his family on a diet of potatoes for every meal: “We fry them. And then we boil them…”
Since last December, the blockade has choked off supplies of food, medicines, and fuel. The situation escalated in June when the road to Nagorno-Karabakh was entirely blocked by Azerbaijani guards. Residents are left to barter for essentials, and many areas are without water and electricity. “We don’t have gold. Or oil. Or gas. We have nothing that interests the west, or the east,” Asmaryan lamented, expressing frustration at the lack of international attention.
Azerbaijan has dismissed allegations of a blockade, despite the International Committee for the Red Cross’s confirmation of the scarcity of essential items in the region. “They will not be satisfied until we die in the streets,” Asmaryan told The Guardian.
The blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh has taken on a disturbing facade of environmentalism. As reported by Simon Maghakyan in Time, the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan has masqueraded the blockade as an “eco-protest” against ore mining operations in the region. This has left Nagorno-Karabakh on the brink of starvation, with the local economy and mining operations halted. The International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to end the blockade on 22 February, but without immediate enforcement, the situation remains dire.
Azerbaijan’s weaponisation of environmentalism, blending ethnic cleansing with environmental causes, sets a dangerous precedent. President Aliyev’s cynical approach has not only exploited a vital global cause but also further corroded Azerbaijan’s civil society, symbolised by the strangled dove at the blockade—an ethnic cleansing strategy sugar-coated as environmentalism.
https://medyanews.net/armenians-in-nagorno-karabakh-face-acute-shortages-amid-azerbaijan-blockade/
16:21,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, ARMENPRESS. A 35-year-old man from Martakert region in Nagorno-Karabakh has gone missing, local police said Monday.
He was last seen on August 19.
According to police, the man (pictured above) left his home around 17:00 on August 19 in the town of Martakert to search for his livestock and hasn’t returned since. He was wearing a blue shirt, black jeans trousers and sneakers.
Azerbaijan has been accused of preparing genocide against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to a report by the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo.
The report highlights that the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, has severely hindered the supply of food, medicine, and essential goods to the region’s population of approximately 120,000.
Ocampo’s report states, “There is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed,” noting that a UN convention defines genocide as including “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction”. The report also warns, “Starvation is the invisible genocide weapon. Without immediate dramatic change, this group of Armenians will be destroyed in a few weeks.”
A group of UN experts has called on Azerbaijan to lift the blockade in the Lachin Corridor and end the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. The experts, including the Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food and the Right to Education, the Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of All Human Rights by Older Persons; and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, emphasised the urgent need for free and safe movement of people, vehicles and goods in the Lachin Corridor, in accordance with the November 2020 ceasefire agreement. They also stressed the importance of respecting and protecting human rights, including the rights to food, health, education and life, and called for cooperation and dialogue among all parties to find a peaceful and sustainable solution to the Nagorno-Karabağ conflict.
Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor has created a severe humanitarian crisis, leading to serious shortages of essential items, particularly affecting children, disabled individuals, the elderly, pregnant women, and invalids. Medical stocks are rapidly depleting, and hospitals are struggling to operate ambulances due to reduced fuel supply.
A government representative in Azerbaijan dismissed the report from Ocampo, the first prosecutor of the ICC, saying it “contains unsubstantiated allegations and accusations”. Hikmet Hajiyev, an assistant to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, told The Associated Press, “It is biased and distorts the real situation on the ground and represents serious factual, legal and substantive errors”.
Meanwhile, approximately 360 tonnes of medicine and food loaded on 19 lorries have been waiting for more than two weeks to cross the Azerbaijan border.
Vardan Sargsyan, a representative of a crisis management working group for Nagorno-Karabakh set up by the Armenian government, told the Associated Press, “Unfortunately, there have been many attempts from the Azerbaijani side to manipulate this situation. We just hope that this humanitarian initiative will be accepted as humanitarian and that it will be possible to transfer the goods.”
Culture and gastronomy of the small, but for the Hungarian history, important ethnic group is comprehensively presented. Under the title Armenians in Transylvania, the part of the Open Air Museum of Szentendre that presents Transylvania (Region in contemporary Romania), will be dedicated to the culture and gastronomy of the Armenians on August 12.
The event beginning at 1 p.m. will, among others, see a performance by the Kortárs & Ballet dance group, and a gastronomic demonstration in the main square of the Transylvanian building complex, where visitors will be able to see how the traditional Armenian dish, Angadjabur soup, is prepared.
Afterwards, the NUR band will perform Armenian songs; Mária Várady, the director of ANI – Armenian Theater Buda, will give a lecture on Armenian literature entitled Far from Ararat. The dancers of the Armenian Theater Urartu will present a traditional costume show, the band Nevetek will play Balkan melodies from 6:00 p.m., followed by a dance house with the band Bekecs.
“Erected to God and to Elizabeth, protector of Armenian Piety”. Elizabeth Town Armenian Catholic Church (Erzsébetváros, Dumbrăveni), Transylvania. Photo: Zsolt Lakatos Facebook.
Well-known Hungarian personalities of Transylvanian-Armenian origin: Vilmos Lázár (1817-1849) and Ernő Kiss (1799-1849), both generals and martyrs of Arad, Pongrác Kacsóh (1873-1923), composer, Gergely Csiky (1842- 1891), playwright, Gergely Pongrátz (1932-2005), hero of the 1956 revolution.
Armenian Catholic High Mass in the cathedral of Armenian Town (Hungarian: Szamosújvár, Roman: Gherla) in Transylvania. In front: the so-called “Guardians of the Armenian Church”. Photo: Kulcsár László Facebook
The origins and urban traditions of Transylvanian Armenians are presented in the special exhibition The 1001 Fibers and Forms of Armenian Culture and through thematic walks through the Transylvanian part of the open-air museum. Visitors will be accompanied by Tamás Szegedy-Kloska, curator, and Dávid Fabók, editor of the Transylvanian Armenian Cultural Center.
Armenians in Transylvania around 1850. photo: Castelul Apafi, Facebook.
On this day, visitors can also learn about famous Hungarians of Armenian descent and Hungarian words of Armenian origin. Craft activities include the making of a red-robed doll in Armenian costume, an Armenian noble coat of arms and plate jewelry. Café Korzó offers typical Armenian dishes.
The oldest manuscript of the Armenian Catholic parish in Niklasmarkt (Gyergyószentmiklós, Gheorgheni), Transylvania. Photo: Armenian Art Festival Facebook.
https://hungarytoday.hu/szentendre-open-air-museum-dedicated-to-the-armenians-of-transylvania/
WATERTOWN, Mass. — The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Eastern USA is thrilled to announce that it has awarded $67,750 in scholarships to 40 students. The committee and regional executive board selected the students based on their academic achievements and involvement in the Armenian community.
“We are immensely proud of the remarkable achievements, dedication and commitment to both academic excellence and community involvement and congratulate all the students who have been awarded scholarships,” said Caroline Chamavonian, ARS of Eastern USA chairperson. “We wholeheartedly encourage each student to pursue their dreams and aspirations, and we have every confidence that each of them will make significant contributions to our beloved homeland, our diaspora community and this world,” she continued.
Following is a list of the recipients based on each scholarship category. The scholarships provided by the ARS of Eastern USA are made possible through the generous endowments and memorial funds established by individuals and families over the last couple of decades who wholeheartedly believe in the power of education and its transformative impact.
The recipients of the ARS undergraduate scholarships are:
Asadurian, Shant – Accounting – Business – Rutgers University
Avakyan, Lusine – Nursing – Pace University
Ayazian, Andre – Mechanical Engineering – Stevens Institute of Technology
Blonkvist, Christie – Biomedical Engineering – University of Virginia
Blonkvist, Pete – Business Administration – University of North Carolina
Dishoyan, Karnie – Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – Drew University
Donoian, David – Science in Business Administration – Northeastern University
Emirzian, Haig – Cyber Security – Stevens Institute of Technology
Farah, Alexa – Music – Rider University
Hardy, Aren – Mechanical Engineering – University of Illinois
Kiwanian, Narod – Political Science – Wayne State University
Matevosian, Vana – Psychology – University of California, Los Angeles
Mkrtchyan, Ani – Marketing – University of Maryland
Orangian, Nataleen – Biology – University of Virginia
Ovasepian, Susanna – Biology – Northeastern University
Sargsyan, Zaruhi – Voice Performance – Berklee College
Sarrafian, Raffi – Chemical Engineering – University of Illinois
Soulakian, Aleen – Marketing – Illinois State University
Zobian, Maral – Interior Design – Suffolk University
The recipients of the ARS Lazarian graduate scholarships are:
Arslanyan, Aren – Chemical Engineering – Villanova University
Asadurian, Sevan – Reproductive Clinical Studies – Eastern Virginia Medical School
Bairamian, Nora – Armenian Studies – University of California, Los Angeles
Berberian, Khatchig – Physician Assistant – Charles Drew University
Kalbakian, Armine – Public Health – Columbia University
Kasparian, Alexandra – Physician Assistant – George Washington University
Kiledjian, Kevork – Physical Therapy – Touro College
Magardichian, Marco – Medicine – California Health Science University
Mardanyan, Hayk – Public Policy – University of Minnesota
Mesrobian, Kalina – Law – St. John’s University
Ohanian, Alec – Medicine – University of California, San Francisco
Pogosyan, David – Medicine – University of Arizona
Topouzian, Knar – Law – University of Detroit
The Karnig Alajajian Family Scholarship is given to students of Armenian descent from the Middle East pursuing their higher education in the United States. This year’s recipients are:
Mikaelian, Sarkis – Astronautical Engineering – University of Southern California
Tarakjian, Mher – Design Studies: Ecologies – Harvard University
Taslakjian, Boghos – Engineering – University of Chicago
The Hagop & Pearl Mooradian Scholarship is given to students from the United States who are pursuing their education in Armenia. This year’s recipient is:
Dzhragatspanyan, Arman – Political Science and International Affairs – American University of Armenia
The ARS Regional Executive Board also awarded scholarships to the following deserving students as part of their commitment to supporting educational pursuits:
Boyajian, Vahan – Public Health – Drexel University
Martirosyan, Armen – Music – University of Miami
Sinanyan, Ani – Music – Cleveland Institute of Music
Tovmasyan, Lilit – Learning Design, Innovation & Technologies – Harvard University
The ARS of Eastern USA has awarded more than $600,000 in scholarships over the last several decades. The next application cycle will begin in January 2024. Interested applicants can learn more on the website.
Yerevan /Mediamax/. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said today that “today there are people in Armenian society and even the government who still live with revanchist ideas.”
Speaking today at a media forum in Shushi, he noted:
“In the past, the danger for us for 30 years came from Armenia and its occupation policy. In general, we have already overcome this threat. But, of course, we must be vigilant, we must not forget the past.”
“We must be prepared for any scenario. To this end, after the Karabakh war ended, we immediately began to implement in-depth reforms in the field of defense,” Aliyev said.
Noting that “today our army is stronger than three years ago,” the Azerbaijani president added:
“It is a must, and it stems from our history. We see that today the norms of international law are grossly violated. When international law does not work, when the signature is not so important, only force guarantees peace.”