Author: Jane Topchian

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has issued a statement, expressing his support to the Armenian Army:

“We learned with deep sorrow about the death of our soldiers. We express our sympathy, patriarchal love and blessing to their families. Our soldiers are heroes and martyrs, because they sacrificed their lives for the Motherland, for our independence and our rights.

We express our full support to the brave Army. The Armenian Army is the guarantee of our Motherland’s security and independence. Strong Army means strong Motherland. We are confident that the brave soldiers will struggle with renewed strength to foil all attempts of the enemy to approach the territory of Artsakh.”

Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY) of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee are asking their Congressional colleagues to join a bipartisan call for renewed U.S. leadership in keeping the peace along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The two senior legislators are currently collecting Congressional signatures on a letter addressed to Ambassador James Warlick – the U.S. representative to the OSCE’s Minsk Group tasked with reaching a resolution of Nagorno Karabakh-related security and status issues.  In their letter, they specifically call for the U.S. and OSCE to abandon their failed policy of false parity in responding to acts of aggression, noting that: “The longstanding U.S. and OSCE practice of responding to each new attack with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence has failed to de-escalate the situation.  Instead, this policy of artificial evenhandedness has dangerously increased tensions. There will be no peace absent responsibility.”

The letter proposes three concrete pro-peace steps that would, “in the short-term, save lives and help to avert war.  Over the longer term,” the letter notes, “these steps could contribute to a comprehensive and enduring peace for all the citizens of the region:”

—  An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact.

— The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact.

— The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have both expressed support for these life-saving initiatives; Azerbaijan has not.

“We want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership in keeping the peace, averting war, and promoting a durable and just negotiated settlement of status and security issues related to Nagorno Karabakh,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.  “We join with Armenia and Artsakh in supporting each of their three concrete peace-keeping proposals, and welcome – in the wake of yet another round of Azerbaijani aggression – their principled advocacy for replacing the U.S. and OSCE’s failed policy of artificial evenhandedness with an accountability-based approach to peace-keeping.”

 

Text of Royce-Engel Congressional Sign-On Letter to Ambassador Warlick

Dear Ambassador Warlick:

We are writing out of concern over the escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in deaths on both sides of the conflict.   It is our hope that the United States, through its role in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group, as well as through direct diplomacy with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, will immediately advocate for several steps to promote peace in the region.

We believe that securing the full and public support of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabakh for the following steps would, in the short-term, save lives and help to avert war. Over the longer term, these steps could contribute to a comprehensive and enduring peace for all the citizens of the region.

An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact.

The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact.

The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.

We also urge you to publicly condemn specific acts of aggression along the line of contact. The longstanding U.S. and OSCE practice of responding to each new attack with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence has failed to de-escalate the situation.  Instead, this policy of artificial evenhandedness has dangerously increased tensions. There will be no peace absent responsibility.

Thank you for your consideration of these recommendations. We continue to support your efforts to reach a durable and just resolution to this conflict and look forward to your response.

Matthew Karanian’s “Historic Armenia After 100 Years,” was presented at the Armenian Embassy in Canada.

Matthew Karanian is the author of the first travel guide to Armenia, and work as lawyer in California. He lectured at the American University of Armenia from 2002 to 2006.

After Ambassador Armen Yeganian’s opening remarks, Karanian offered a lecture on Armenian cultural heritage. He spoke about the six regions of Western Armenia, the hidden Armenians and church-building in Armenia.

Under the auspices of the Armenian Embassy in Canada, Karanian also presented his book in Montreal and Toronto.

US Co-Chair of the OSCE Misnk Group James Warlick has called for joint use of the Sarsang water reservoir.

Warlick uploaded the photo of the reservoir on

“I took this photo last year with the Co-Chairs. We need to ensure that the reservoir continues to provide safe reliable power to the population of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the Co-Chair wrote.

“It’s also important that the dam is safe and that those downstream in Azerbaijan have water when it is needed. Why can’t the sides cooperate when it is in their mutual interest? This is a win-win and we are ready to help,” James Warlick said. 

Asbarez – Vista Players, the acclaimed theater ensemble that “set the standard by which others were judged” (Sacramento News & Review), will stage the world premiere of “Happy Armenians,” the latest work by Elly Award-winning playwright and director Aram Kouyoumdjian. “Happy Armenians” will open on October 2, 2015 at the NoHo Arts Center, where it will enjoy a 12-performance run over four weekends through October 25.

“Happy Armenians,” a dramedy, tells a “parallel world” version of history in which Armenia has become a global empire, upending the world order as we know it. Its king, however, has only 30 more days to live, and Levon, a blood relative, is the unexpected – and unwilling – heir to the throne, who must manage a war against Switzerland, the geopolitics of African and South American colonization of Europe, and his budding love for a brilliant scientist named Siran.

A humorous, imaginative, and poignant rumination on love, war, and the burdens of history, “Happy Armenians” boasts a stellar cast, led by Daniel Hubbard as Levon and featuring the talents of Heather Lynn Smith, Tavis L. Baker, Jade Hykush, and Mark Eric Howell.

Maro Parian is designing the production’s towering set and constructing its unique costumes. Henrik Mansourian is the show’s lighting designer and Armineh Hovanesian its stage manager. Ara Dabandjian is composing the play’s original music score.

Performances are on Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 pm (except on Saturday, October 3, when the curtain rises at 7:00 pm), and on Sundays at 3:00 pm. Due to the intimate nature of the performances, no late seating will be allowed.

Kouyoumdjian is the winner of Elly Awards for playwriting (“The Farewells”) and directing (“Three Hotels”), and has been hailed for having “an adventurous artistic sensibility for intelligent productions” (Sacramento Bee). His directing credits include “Arcadia,” “Far Away,” “Marvin’s Room,” “The Play About the Baby,” and “Six Degrees of Separation.” His feature plays and solo pieces have been performed in half a dozen cities, from Los Angeles (Fountain Theatre) to London (Finborough Theatre). His most recent productions include “Ancient Gods” (Garni Theatre Ensemble at the NoHo Arts Center, 2014) and, earlier this year, the open-air, site-specific performance “i Go On” at DTLA’s Grand Park.

Vista Players is an award-winning theater ensemble devoted to staging contemporary plays of social relevance. It was founded in Northern California, where its premier outing was “Six Degrees of Separation.” Over the course of six seasons, the “acclaimed” troupe (Sacramento Bee) staged esteemed productions of nine plays by such leading playwrights as Tom Stoppard, Caryl Churchill, and Edward Albee. Vista Players is now L.A.-based, and “Happy Armenians” marks its relaunch in Southern California.

Igor Nazaruk, the newly-appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus, today handed over his credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan, President’s Press Office reported.

The RA President congratulated the Ambassador on the occasion of taking up his functions and wished every success in fulfilling his diplomatic duties.

Serzh Sargsyan underlined that the bilateral relations between Armenia and Belarus were developing in all dimensions, including the high level political dialogue and partnership on the level of executive and legislative authorities. The President expressed hope that the newly-appointed ambassador would make efforts to fully realize the existing potential of the cooperation between the two countries in the economic sphere, considering that the membership in the EAEU opens up new perspectives for mutually beneficial partnership.

According to the interlocutors, the participation of Armenia in the Eurasian integration processes would enrich the agenda of Armenian-Belarusian cooperation, elevating them to a qualitatively new level of development.

The RA President and the Belarusian ambassador agreed that active political dialogue, boost of the economic and trade relations, partnership in the humanitarian and other fields were in line with the long-term interests of the two countries and the spirit of the friendly relations between Armenian and Belarusian people.

At the meeting Ambassador Igor Nazaruk assured that during his tenure he would make the utmost efforts towards the strengthening and development of Armenian-Belarusian partnership based on the historical friendly relations.

Two of the three Armenian families that fled to Turkey after the Islamic State attack on the Syrian town of Kobane will move to Armenia, Ermenihaber.am reports, quoting a statement by the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul.

The families voiced the wish to move to Armenia during a meeting with the Patriarchal Vicar of Constantinople, Archbishop Aram Ateshyan at the refugee camp.

Aram Ateshyan will see off the families to Armenia on August 30.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held consultations with the agencies responsible for the Republic’s economic policy to discuss issued of energy security and solution of existing problems.

Speaking about the ongoing protests against the planned electricity price hike, President Sargsyan hailed the mutual trust established between the protesters and the law-enforcement bodies over the past days.

“I have been following the recent developments and I can assert that over the past week Armenia has turned into a large and effective educational center, where our citizens and law-enforcers, journalists and lawmakers, intellectuals and foreigners teach each other, listen to each other, tolerate each other, something that rarely happens in the world.,” the President said.

The President reminded that during a meeting with Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov he stressed the importance of conducting an audit at the Armenian Electric Networks. He added, however, that the decision on price hike was justified.

“I’m confident that if the price is not increased, the energy system will face the danger of collapse.”

He suggested to select an experienced international consulting company to conduct an audit at the Electric Networks, to give an answer to the following questions: to what extent the price hike is justified and which are the dangers threatening the energy system in case the price is not increased.

The President said that before the final decision, the government will assume the burden of the increased prices.

“If the audit comes to prove that the price hike is justified, the consumers will start paying the cost. In case the audit concludes that the planned price hike was groundless, the government will do its best to get back the sums spared by the Electric Networks and will call the officials to accountability,” President Sargsyan stated.

President Serzh Sargsyan received today Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice of Georgia, and Giorgi Mghebrishvili, Minister of Corrections of Georgia.

The president welcomed the guests and their participation in the first Armenian-Georgian Forum for Legal Cooperation held in Yerevan. Expressing his satisfaction with the fact that Armenia and Georgia continue to conduct high-level political dialogue and deepen multi-sectoral cooperation, Serzh Sargsyan stressed that it lays the groundwork to add new dimensions for partnership. In that context, the Armenian president attached importance to the relationship between the two countries’ legal affairs ministries and expressed the hope that the forum for legal cooperation will continue on a regular basis, thereby bringing its contribution to the further strengthening and development of friendly ties between Armenian and Georgia. Serzh Sargsyan underscored that the mentioned ministries mainly deal with problems faced by both Armenian and Georgian citizens, and, hence, it is important to find effective solutions to them through mutual discussions and exchange of experience so that citizens can feel the difference.

At the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan once again expressed his sincere support for the friendly people of Georgia on the occasion of the floods and natural calamity in Tbilisi and expressed the hope that Georgia’s government and Tbilisi’s local authorities will try their best to quickly overcome the effects of the calamity. The Armenian president reiterated Armenia’s readiness to render necessary assistance to the friendly country of Georgia.

During the meeting, Serzh Sargsyan also emphasized that our country is keen on developing and deepening Armenian-Georgian interstate relations under new conditions created by Armenia’s membership in the EAEU and the conclusion of the Georgia-EU Association Agreement.

Ministers Thea Tsulukiani and Giorgi Mghebrishvili underscored that they intend to follow the legal cooperation format established during the Armenian justice minister’s visit to Georgia and make it a tradition, as well as to conduct exchange of experience and promote cooperation between the two friendly countries.

An overflow crowed of more than 1400 attended the 100 anniversary commemoration of the 20 Hunchakian Gallows, which was held on Sunday, June 14, 2015, reports.

The event took place in the historical Alex theater in Glendale, where the event was announced on the theater’s bright marquee.

The evening MC was Zovig Koroglian. Vahan Khodanian delivered the Armenian Council of America’s message, after which ACA Chairman Sevak Khatchadourian introduced the elected officials who were present. Afterward, he presented “Stephan Sabah-Gulian Humanitarian Award” to Rep. Adam Shiff for his efforts for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

After receiving a standing ovation, Rep. Shiff delivered a short speech expressing hisgratitude for the award. He said that he is proud to represent his Armenian constituents in the congress, and promised to double his efforts for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Event’s other speakers were SDHP Central Committee chairman Hagop Dikranian, political activist from Armenia Sarkis Hazbanian, Armenian Church Western Diocese Primate Arch. HovnanDerderian and SDHP Western Region chairman Gabriel Moloyan.

An artistic program of Armenian national and patriotic songs and poems was presented with the participation of “Sipan” Choir, conducted by Henrik Annasian, Nor Serount Cultural Association’s dance troupe, well known poetry reciter Noune Avedissian and talented singers Salpi Mayilian, Arno Mcrtchian and Hagop Hagopian.