Jhanna Virabian – Page 15 – Armenian Directory & News

The delegation led by Laurent Wauquiez visits Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex

April 1, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

19:04,

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, ARMENPRESS. On March 31, the delegation led by the President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, Laurent Wauquiez visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial, accompanied by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to France Hasmik Tolmajyan, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

Harutyun Marutyan, director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, welcomed the guests and presented the history of the creation of the memorial complex. He also referred to the three khachkars erected in the Tsitsernakaberd area in memory of the Armenians who died in the massacres organized by the Azerbaijani government in the cities of Sumgait, Kirovabad (Gandzak), Baku at the end of the last century, and the stories of the five freedom fighters of the Artsakh war buried in front of Hushapat, stressing the link between what happened and the Armenian Genocide.

The members of the delegation from France laid flowers on the khachkars and graves, paying their respect to the memory of the victims of the anti-Armenian policy implemented by the Azerbaijani authorities.

Mr. Laurent Wauquiez laid a wreath at the monument commemorating the victims of the Armenian Genocide, then the guests placed flowers near the eternal fire and honored the memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide with a minute of silence.

Mr. Laurent Wauquiez stressed that the warm Armenian-French relations have a centuries-old history and that France should do everything to prevent another genocide against the Armenians.

Harutyun Marutyun thanked Mr. Wauquiez for standing by Armenia.

At the end of the visit, the French delegation was also in the Park of Remembrance, where Laurent Wauquiez watered the silver fir tree he had planted in 2019.

AW: Providence community supports Syrian earthquake relief efforts

March 28, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

Guest Contributor Diaspora 0

Hrag Arakelian, chairman of the Providence ARF Kristapor Gomideh, discussed the devastating aftermath

PROVIDENCE, RI—On Sunday, March 12, the Providence Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Armenian Relief Society (ARS) “Arax” Chapter, ARS “Ani” Chapter, Homenetmen, Hamazkayin and Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) “Varantian” Chapter hosted a fundraising luncheon for the Syrian earthquake.

Over 75 members of the community attended the luncheon at Sts. Vartanantz Church. Hrag Arakelian, chairman of the Providence ARF Kristapor Gomideh, discussed the devastating aftermath of the earthquake that struck western Syria on February 6. “It’s unfortunate that we gather here yet again to discuss a crisis Armenians in Syria have experienced, but it is fortunate that we continue to gather to raise our own awareness and to provide a helping hand,” said Arakelian.

Taline Mkrtschjan, ARS Central Executive Board member, delivered an in-depth presentation on the relief efforts and the work of the ARS on the ground in Syria. “During the month following the earthquake, the ARS provided food to all who were sheltered in our Armenian centers, as well as opened their health center to all, Armenian and non-Armenian, to treat non-life threatening injuries.”

Taline Mkrtschjan, ARS Central Executive Board member, delivering her presentation

The program concluded with remarks and a prayer from Sts. Vartanantz Church pastor Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian.

Rev. Fr. Kapriel Nazarian offering closing remarks

The community raised $10,000 to support the Armenian community of Syria.

Secretary of Security Council, Iranian Deputy FM discuss regional security threats

March 27, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

16:57, 22 March 2023

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan held a meeting with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Wednesday in Yerevan.

Grigoryan and the Iranian Deputy FM “underscored the trend of stable development of cooperation in various areas between the two countries,” Grigoryan’s office said in a readout.

They also “attached importance to ensuring regional security, stability and peace.”

The Secretary of the Security Council presented the current situation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and around Nagorno Karabakh. Other security issues posing a threat in the region were also discussed.

Armenian PM announces peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan

March 25, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

RFE/RL Armenia Report – 03/24/2023

March 25, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

Friday,
Armenian Court Allows Ratification Of International Criminal Court Treaty
• Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian meets with Constitutional Court judges,
December 27, 2021. The Armenian Constitutional Court paved the way on Friday for parliamentary
ratification of the International Criminal Court’s founding treaty which could
further strain Armenia’s relations with Russia. Based in The Hague, the ICC is the first permanent international tribunal tasked
with prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and military
aggression. Armenia was among 120 countries that signed its founding treaty, the
Rome Statute, in 1998. The Armenian parliament has still not ratified it, however. In 2004, the
Constitutional Court ruled that the treaty runs counter to several provisions of
the Armenian constitution which guarantee national sovereignty over judicial
affairs. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government decided last December to ask the
court to again look into the Rome Statute and determine its conformity with the
constitution. Justice Minister Grigor Minasian argued that the constitution has
been twice amended since 2004. Minasian indicated at the time that Yerevan intends to appeal to the ICC over
Azerbaijan’s military attacks on Armenian territory launched since May 2021
The Constitutional Court ruled that the Rome Statute conforms to the amended
constitution. It said, among other things, that the two documents pursue
identical goals enshrined in “universal values.”
The ruling came one week after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian
President Vladimir Putin over war crimes allegedly committed by Russia in
Ukraine. Ara Zakarian, an Armenian expert on international law, said a possible
ratification of the ICC treaty would obligate the Armenian authorities to arrest
Putin and extradite him to The Hague tribunal if he visits the South Caucasus
country. “If they promptly send the treaty to the National Assembly [for ratification]
then it will mean that [the ruling] was agreed [with Pashinian’s government,]”
Zakarian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “But in my view, the [ratification]
process will be halted.”
Most of the current Constitutional Court judges have been installed by
Pashinian’s political team. Armenian law gives the government up to three months to request parliamentary
ratification in such cases. Neither the government nor the ruling Civil Contract
party commented on its next move. By contrast, Russia was quick to react to the Armenian court ruling. Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov was reported to say that Moscow will discuss its
implications with Yerevan. Earlier this week, a Russian law-enforcement agency opened a criminal case
against an ICC prosecutor and judges who issued the “illegal” arrest warrant. Russia has long been Armenia’s main ally and trading partner. Relations between
the two countries have soured in recent months because of what the Armenian
government sees as a lack of Russian support in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Armenia, Azerbaijan ‘Still Far Apart’ On Peace Treaty
• Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan speaks during a news conference in
Yerevan, February 22, 2023. Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to disagree on key terms of a bilateral peace
treaty discussed by them, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Friday. The two sides have exchanged in recent months written proposals regarding the
treaty which Baku hopes will help to restore full Azerbaijani control over
Nagorno-Karabakh. Few of their details have been made public so far. “There have been discussions, exchanges of views and some compromise language
has been defined,” Mirzoyan told Armenian lawmakers. “Unfortunately, this does
not apply to major, key issues of primary importance.”
“All those major issues of primary importance are still under discussion and the
parties are quite far apart on the bulk of them,” he said without elaborating. Parliament speaker Alen Simonian similarly said late last month that Yerevan and
Baku still disagree on “three or four” elements of the would-be peace treaty. But he too did not disclose them. Baku maintains that the peace accord must be based on five elements which it
presented to Yerevan in March 2022. Those elements include mutual recognition of
each other’s territorial integrity. This would presumably mean Armenian
recognition of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. Armenian leaders have been vague on such recognition in their public statements. They have said only that the treaty should address the “rights and security” of
Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian population. The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, said earlier this
month that Yerevan is seeking relevant security guarantees for the Karabakh
Armenians. This may include the establishment of a “demilitarized zone” around
Karabakh or “international presence” in the Armenian-populated territory, he
said. Azerbaijani Troops Accused Of Shooting At Karabakh Farmers
• Artak Khulian
Nagorno-Karabakh - A vineyeard near Chartar, March 22, 2023. Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have accused the Azerbaijani military of
systematically firing in recent days at Karabakh Armenian villagers cultivating
land in their communities. They said that a group of residents of Machkalashen, a village in Karabakh’s
Martuni district, came under small arms fire from nearby Azerbaijani army
positions as they worked in local vineyards on Thursday and Friday morning. Although none of them was injured by the gunfire, they had to stop their work,
the interior ministry in Stepanakert said in a statement. Hunan Grigorian, the mayor of the neighboring village of Sos, said Azerbaijani
troops opened the fire despite the presence of Russian peacekeepers protecting
the farmers. “They used not only assault rifles but also heavy machine guns,” Grigorian said,
adding that such incidents have been a regular occurrence in the last two weeks. Similar shooting incidents were reported from another Martuni village, Chartar,
earlier this week. Artyom Jivanian, a local farmer, said workers in his vineyard
came under fire on Wednesday. They have still not returned to parts of the
10-hectare vineyard close to Azerbaijani army positions, said Jivanian. “People are now working in places not visible from the Azerbaijani positions,”
he told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “That way they can feel a bit safer.”
It was the third such incident reported by the Chartar mayor to Russian
peacekeeping forces in the past week. He asked the peacekeepers to help ensure
the security of local farmers. Earlier in March, two other villages in Martuni also alleged Azerbaijani gunfire
towards their residents engaged in agricultural work. The reported incidents highlight tensions mounting in the conflict zone more
than three months after Azerbaijan blocked the sole road connecting Karabakh to
Armenia. The Azerbaijani military has repeatedly accused Armenia this month of
transporting military personnel and weapons to Karabakh and threatened to take
“resolute” actions to stop the alleged shipments. Yerevan has strongly denied
the allegations, saying that Baku may be preparing the ground for launching
offensive military operations in Karabakh or along the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry released on Friday another purported footage of
a Russian armored vehicle escorting a convoy of trucks along a dirt road running
parallel to a section of the Lachin corridor blocked by Azerbaijani
government-backed protesters. It portrayed the video as further proof of Baku’s
allegations. The Karabakh interior ministry insisted, however, that these and other vehicles
using the barely passable road transport only civilians and “humanitarian cargo.”
U.S. Hails Pashinian’s Promise Of Peace Deal With Azerbaijan
Germany - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian during the
Munich Security Conference, February 18, 2023. The United States welcomed on Friday Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s pledge to
negotiate an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty which contrasted with his claims
that Azerbaijan is planning another attack on Armenia. “There will be a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and it will be
based on the joint official statements adopted at the highest level,” Pashinian
tweeted late on Thursday, repeating a statement made by him during a meeting of
his cabinet held earlier in the day. Speaking at that meeting, Pashinian described as an “act of aggression”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s latest threats against Armenia. He said
Baku is questioning Armenia’s “right to exist” and “leading the situation to a
new escalation.”
However, Pashinian said in his ensuing Twitter post that “there won’t be а new
escalation.” “The international community must strongly support this narrative,”
he added. Vedant Patel, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, praised Pashinian’s
tweet and shared it on his page. “[Secretary of State Antony] Blinken is very engaged in facilitating peace
discussions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and we are encouraged by the
progress made toward lasting and sustainable peace in the South Caucasus,” wrote
Patel. “We very much appreciate Nikol Pashinian’s message on that progress.”
Armenia - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during a news conference in
Yerevan, March 14, 2023. Pashinian’s critics at home accuse him of making conflicting statements on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They say that his promise of a peace deal with Baku
is illogical given Yerevan’s allegations about possible Azerbaijani aggression. Pashinian charged on March 14 that Baku is seeking a “mandate to perpetrate
genocide or ethnic cleansing in Karabakh.” “I consider the possibility of
escalation to be high,” he told a news conference. The Azerbaijani military has repeatedly accused Armenia this month of
transporting military personnel and weapons to Karabakh and threatened to take
“resolute” actions to stop the alleged shipments. Yerevan has strongly denied
the allegations, saying that Baku may be preparing the ground for launching
offensive military operations in Karabakh or along the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border. The rising tensions followed Pashinian’s February 18 meeting with Aliyev which
was organized by Blinken in Munich. Blinken spoke of an “opportunity to bring a
peace agreement to fruition” when he commented on Armenian-Azerbaijani peace
talks on Wednesday. Pashinian complained last week that the Azerbaijani side is rejecting most
Armenian proposals on the peace treaty and making more demands unacceptable to
Armenia. Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2023 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Senior Armenian official rebukes Lavrov’s apparent proposal of Donbas Minsk agreement, Kosovo Serbian models for NK

March 24, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

11:36,

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. A senior Armenian government official has rebuked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s apparent proposals of Donbas and Kosovo models as a solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Amabssador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan said that Nagorno Karabakh, with its entire legal and political history, is incomparable with Donetsk, Lugansk or the Kosovo Serbian model.

“With its entire legal & political history Nagorno Karabagh is incomparable with the Donetsk, Lugansk or Serbs of Kosovo, because it’s always been an autonomy, & a self-proclaimed state in the last 30 years. Moreover, NK conflict predates the collapse of USSR, unlike those listed” Marukyan tweeted. “Hence, while looking for a solution to the NK problem, the International Community should take into account the entire historical legal-political background, otherwise any solution built upon irrelevant examples will lead to the deepening of the problem and its non-resolution.”

During a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on March 20, Lavrov expressed support for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s position on the need for a dialogue between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Lavrov cited the example of the Minsk agreements in Ukraine, under which the Russian-speaking residents of the eastern part of Ukraine were to have the right to their native language, to educate their children in their native language, to live and work in their native language environment, to preserve their culture, their religion, and other relations with their compatriots.

“Approximately, the same rights were provided in the agreement signed between Belgrade and Pristina 10 years ago, in the agreement on the establishment of the Serbian community of Kosovo, language, local self-government, education, culture, religion, special economic ties with Serbia. I think that the people of Karabakh need such a set of rights,” Lavrov added.

ICRC facilitates transfer of 12 patients from blockaded Nagorno Karabakh

March 24, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

13:17,

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the transfer of 12 patients from blockaded Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia for treatment on March 24, according to the Nagorno Karabakh healthcare authorities.

Another 8 persons, together with their attendants, returned to Nagorno Karabakh following treatment in Armenia, the healthcare ministry said in a statement.

“Due to the blocking by Azerbaijan of the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia, 12 patients from the Republican Medical Center the Republic of Artsakh with serious diseases of the oncology and cardiovascular system have been transported today, on March 24, to specialized medical institutions of the Republic of Armenia with the mediation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

8 patients, who had been transferred to Armenia for medical treatment, returned to Artsakh together with an accompanying persons.

Scheduled surgeries continue to be suspended in the medical centers of the Republic of Artsakh.

5 children remain in the neonatal and intensive care units of the Arevik medical centre.
8 patients remain in the intensive care unit of the Republican Medical Centre, 3 of them in critical condition.

A total of 215 patients have been transported so far from Artsakh to Armenia with the mediation and support of the International Committee of the Red Cross,” reads the statement issued by the Nagorno Karabakh healthcare ministry.

AW: In Memory of Dr. Dennis R. Papazian

March 23, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

Guest Contributor Obituaries 0

Dr. Dennis R. Papazian (1931-2023)

Dr. Dennis Richard Papazian passed away peacefully on March 16, 2023 after a brief illness. He was 91 years old.

Born the youngest of four children in Augusta, Georgia to Armenian parents from Istanbul, Turkey, Dr. Papazian lived a life of devotion and service to his community, church and nation. His family moved to Detroit, Michigan in the mid-1940s to join a growing Armenian community. As his family struggled to create a life in a new land, Papazian was determined to pursue an education that would ensure a life of security and the promise of the American dream. Across the arc of his life, Papazian was recognized as a distinguished leader and pillar of the Armenian community, with significant achievements in academia, political advocacy and church stewardship.

As a young man, Papazian was nurtured by numerous mentors, such as Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan and Professor George Naknikian, whom he came to know through the Armenian church community and as a student leader at Wayne State University. During these years, his leadership abilities continued to grow, as he encountered prominent leaders, including two American presidents and a former First Lady. The youngest of four siblings, Papazian was the first in his family to earn a college degree, ultimately earning a Ph.D. in Russian history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and becoming one of the first American students to study in the then-Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. This experience placed him at the center of major geopolitical events that influenced the course of his life. He also was active in the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), serving on the Central Council and traveling frequently from Detroit to New York, something he would do years later as a member of the Diocesan Council for the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church. Dr. Papazian’s time in the Soviet Union led him to become an esteemed analyst as the Soviet Union broke apart decades later.

Upon his return to Michigan in 1962 following his recovery from a near-fatal air crash in Uzbekistan, Papazian went on to live a life of contribution and service and became a key leader in the emergence of an Armenian-American community just finding its footing 50 years after the 1915 Armenian Genocide. For over 40 years, Papazian enjoyed a distinguished academic career as a noted author, speaker and professor of history specializing in Russia and the Soviet Union. Papazian’s tenure at the University of Michigan, Dearborn started in 1962, when he joined the faculty. Soon after, he began serving as head of the department of social and behavioral sciences. From there, he oversaw the division of literature, science and the arts, then briefly held the title of associate dean of academic affairs. In his early years, Papazian led the expansion of the Dearborn Campus from an upper two-year college to a four-year university. In 1985, he founded the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan, Dearborn and served as its first director until his retirement in 2006. As a result of his tutelage and leadership, several of Papazian’s students went on to work for the CIA, the State Department and other government agencies. He also served as an authority on Russia and the former Soviet Union for numerous media outlets and as an expert resource in dozens of refugee and asylum cases from the former Soviet Union and its successor republics.

In addition to his role as an educator and scholar, Papazian served tirelessly as a forward-looking and creative leader of the emerging Armenian-American community, where he worked with leaders such as Alex Manoogian, Edward and Helen Mardigian, Stephen Mugar, Hrair Hovnanian, Richard Hovannisian and many more. Dr. Papazian was the founding executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America, a national organization whose mission is to promote public understanding and awareness of issues affecting Armenian-Americans. Under his leadership, the Armenian Assembly worked with key elected officials to secure passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the United States House of Representatives. He also brought together several Armenian organizations to apply for and receive $1 million in grant funds from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for the Aid to Lebanon project, which supported the Armenian community in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut during the 1975 Lebanese Civil War. Papazian pitched to and worked with National Geographic to create a piece about the Armenian-American community entitled “The Proud Armenians,” which was published in 1978.

Papazian traveled extensively during his career, presenting papers and delivering lectures in Armenia, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Israel and several other countries. At one point in his career, he conducted research on the USSR and personally worked with the State Department to coordinate an exchange between the University of Michigan and Moscow State University. In 1976, Papazian received an award from the US Department of State honoring his work as a scholar and diplomat, which was followed by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1977 and an award from the USAID in 1978.

Together with his wife Mary, the former president of San Jose State University, whom he married in 1991, Papazian was an ardent and faithful member of the Armenian community throughout his life. He represented the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America on the Supreme Spiritual Councils held in Etchmiadzin, Armenia that elected Catholicos Karekin I (1995) and Catholicos Karekin II (1999) and participated in several Armenia-Diaspora conferences in Armenia during the early years of independence. Papazian served on numerous boards and panels related to education and civic outreach, such as the Society for Armenian Studies, St. Nersess Armenian Seminary, the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), the Michigan chapter of the American Red Cross, the Michigan Ethnic Heritage Association and, most recently, as a member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust and Genocide Education. He held numerous leadership roles in the Armenian community, including president on several occasions of the Society for Armenian Studies, advisor to the annual Times Square Armenian Genocide Commemoration, member of the Diocesan Council of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church and as Grand Commander of the Knights of Vartan, an Armenian fraternal organization. He also has been affiliated with the American Association of University Professors, the National Association for Ethnic Studies, the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies and the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Throughout his career, Papazian spoke to audiences large and small on topics ranging from Russian and Soviet history, Armenian Genocide recognition, theology and the Armenian church, among many other topics. He authored numerous essays, articles, books and op-eds, served as editor of the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies (JSAS) from 1995 to 2001, and recently completed his memoir, From My Life and Thought: Reflections on an Armenian-American Journey, which was published in May 2022 by The Press at Fresno State University as part of their Armenian Studies series. Papazian holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Wayne State University, a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Armenian State Pedagogical University in Yerevan.

Dr. Papazian is survived by his wife Mary; his daughters Ani and Marie; nieces Louise Yardumian (Haig), Elise Papazian, Melody Lopez (Marc) and Vicki Ware (Hank); nephews Leon Sarkisian (Sharon) and Garo Papazian; great-niece Nicole Papazian; great-nephews Edward Yardumian (Eva), Ara Yardumian (Tatiana), Nishan Papazian, Alex Lopez and Christian Lopez; great-great-nieces Kennedy Yardumian and Valentina Yardumian; great-great-nephews Eli Yardumian and Edward Yardumian; brothers-in-law Robert Arshagouni (Manya), Michael Arshagouni (Ned Rodriguez) and Paul Arshagouni (Long Hoang); nieces Nina Arshagouni (Matt Pugmire), Liana Arshagouni and Beth Arshagouni; and great-nieces Alik, Aida and Maro Arshagouni; as well as dozens of extended family members, colleagues and friends. He will be deeply missed.

There will be memorial services in his honor on various days across the country. Visitation will be held at St. Andrew Armenian Church in Cupertino, CA on Thursday, March 30 at 6:00 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. The funeral service will take place at St. Leon Armenian Cathedral in Burbank, CA and will be officiated by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian on Tuesday, April 4 at 9:30 a.m. A graveside service will follow at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, with a memorial luncheon to follow. A 40-day memorial service will take place at St. John’s Armenian Church in Southfield, MI on Sunday, April 30, with a reception to follow. A Celebration of Life will take place in the New York/New Jersey area later this year, with details to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dennis R. Papazian Memorial Foundation for advancing Armenian scholarship, education, and leadership and mailed to the Dennis R. Papazian Memorial Foundation, c/o Robert Arshagouni, 9176 Independence Avenue, Chatsworth, CA 91311.

Asbarez: Armeno-Indica Conference Wraps Up at UCLA

March 21, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

by Contributor

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Sanjay Subrahmanyam, distinguished Professor of History and Irving & Jean Stone Chair in Social Sciences at UCLA, delivered a lecture during the Armeno-Indica conference

Distinguished scholars from the United States and abroad concluded a two-day conference at UCLA’s Fowler Museum on the Armenian diaspora in India. The lecture series, aptly entitled “Armeno-Indica Four Centuries of Togetherness and Familiarity” was originally scheduled to occur in 2021 to mark the bicentenary of the establishment of the Armenian College in Kolkata India, but was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsors of the collaborative meeting included the Fowler Museum, the Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History, The Promise Armenian Institute UCLA, the UCLA Center for Near Eastern Studies, USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, and the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research.

The Fowler Museum at UCLA

Scholars from the United States and abroad participated in the lecture series, which perused the cultural identity of the Armenians in India, including: Trade, Law, and Go-Betweens, Language and Literary Revival, Armenian Historiography and Print Culture, History in the Present on day one; Monuments, Patronage, and Indo-Persianate Identities; The Historical Imagination and the Circulation of Revolutionary Ideas in Late 18^th Century South India on day two.

Sanjay Subrahmanyam, distinguished Professor of History and Irving & Jean Stone Chair in Social Sciences at UCLA, delivered the keynote lecture on “Armenians in the Mughal Surat, Rethinking Communities, Collaboration, and Conflict.”

The event detailed the identity of the Armenians as maritime traders and community builders from the time of the European colonial expansion to the present-day.

Culture: ‘Echoes of Armenia’ show at Al Owais Cultural Foundation enthralls audiences

March 18, 2023March 12, 2026 Jhanna Virabian

UAE –

Event a part of the foundation’s efforts to enrich UAE’s cultural scene

Published: 13:58Khitam Al Amir, Chief News Editor

Dubai: The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation hosted a folkloric dance show titled the “Echoes of Armenia” performed by the Prof Art Dance Ensemble on Wednesday evening.

The Armenian show was inspired by a profound heritage that recounts traditional folk tales. Dressed in colourful hand-made costumes, the group performed a variety of traditional Armenian folk dances and musical pieces using common musical instruments from the Armenian culture.

The show included many folkloric dances and musical performances such as: Waltz dance by Aram Khachaturian, Kevork Garabedian music band, Vaspurakan dance group performing “Life and Battle” song, Kosher Yarkhusta folk dance, Zul Artsakh musical, Colours of Armenia dance, a Garden Rose song, Kinto dance, the Eagle song, Sayat-Nova dance, Caravan dance group, Shalakho dance and Shushi dance.

The event comes as part of the foundation’s efforts to enrich the UAE’s cultural scene and artistic movement, contributing to turn it into a leading cultural beacon in the region.

The Prof Art Dance is one of Armenia’s most well-known dance companies, founded and directed by artist Tigran Mnoyan, who studied dance at Khachatur Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical University’s Faculty of Culture.

Mnoyan, a professional dancer, founded the Prof Art Dance Studio in 2014, which now has over 100 members.

The troupe consists of 30 professional dancers who have performed at many international theatres and festivals around the world, including the US, Russia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Oman, Bulgaria, Turkey and the UAE.

In 2019, the National Dance Art Union of Armenia awarded the troupe a first-class diploma on the fifth anniversary of the foundation of the Prof Art Dance Studio.

The event was attended by Abdul Hamid Ahmed, the foundation’s Secretary General, Bishop Mesrop Sarkissian, Archbishop of the Armenians in the UAE, Gegham Gharibjanian, Armenian Ambassador in the UAE, and a large number of Armenian public figures, intellectuals and media professionals.

Abdul Hamid Ahmed presented a memento to troupe leader Tigran Mnoyan and certificates of appreciation to the group members at the end of the show. He thanked them for their mesmerising performance, which reflected Armenia’s authentic heritage of and wished them continued success in their artistic careers.