Author: Jirair Kafian

Toivo Klaar, the EU’s special representative to the South Caucasus

Artsakh’s foreign ministry criticized the European Union’s special representative to the Caucasus, Toivo Klaar for “ignoring the general context of the events taking place” in Nagorno-Karabakh, referring to his tone deaf remarks after the ambush by Azerbaijani forces on an Artsakh police vehicle, as a result of which three officers were killed on March 5.

During a visit to Baku and immediately after, Klaar made statements both on social media and during an interview with an Azerbaijani raising concerns about the EU’s stated neutrality in the current situation.

In the interview, Klaar seemed to give legitimacy to Baku’s official positions not only on the Lachin Corridor blockade, but also the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” scheme being advance as a way to carve out a connection through Armenia to Nakhichevan. The EU envoy voiced support to Baku’s insistence of having checkpoints along the Lachin Corridor and interpreted the November 9, 2020 agreement in a way that legitimizes Azerbaijan’s claims the road through Armenia.

“In speaking about the alleged legitimacy of Azerbaijan’s approaches to the Lachin Corridor, the EU Special Representative clearly ignores the general context of the events taking place. And the context is that Azerbaijan has been illegally blocking the Lachin Corridor for almost three months, in violation of not only their obligations under the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020, but also the fundamental rights of the people of Artsakh,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

“Under the pretext of the need for control over the Lachin Corridor, on March 5, the Azerbaijani armed forces resorted to a terrorist attack, killing three Artsakh police officers and seriously wounding another,” the Artsakh foreign ministry pointed out.

“It should be emphasized that all of Azerbaijan’s arguments regarding the blocking of the Lachin Corridor, including the claim that the corridor was allegedly used for military purposes, after a thorough consideration have been rejected by the UN International Court of Justice, which ordered Azerbaijan to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. We recall that the decisions of the International Court of Justice are legally binding, which was also confirmed by senior representatives of the EU,” explained the Artsakh foreign ministry.

“Such statements supporting the illegal claims of Azerbaijan are perceived by the authorities of this country as an indulgence of their [Baku’s] criminal policy of ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, which is based on the denial of the Artsakh people’s inalienable rights to life, self-determination, freedom and peaceful development. Azerbaijan is seeking to create conditions where nothing would prevent Baku from establishing control over the entire territory of Artsakh by force and completing their criminal plans to ethnically cleanse Artsakh,” said the Artsakh foreign ministry.

“If the EU Special Representative is indeed concerned about actions that escalate tensions in the region, then we strongly recommend that he pay attention to Azerbaijan’s continued military provocations, aggressive and belligerent rhetoric, as well as deployment of new military bases and other military infrastructure in the occupied territories of Artsakh,” emphasized the statement.

Nazareth Kevonian

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

The Armenian community and the Asbarez family lost a truly dedicated activist, advocate and supporter with the passing of Nazareth Kevonian.

His daughter Tamar broke the sad news that her father passed away in a telephone call on Monday, giving me pause but also an opportunity to reflect on the qualities that made Nazareth a true patriot.

I have known Nazareth for more than two decades. He would visit the Asbarez offices frequently, usually following a trip to Armenia or when there was something new to impart about his beloved Land and Culture Organization. Nazareth believed that LCO’s mission of gathering Diaspora youth and engaging them in rebuilding Armenian cultural landmarks—important reflection of our national heritage—was an critical way to connect young generations to the homeland and the rich history of our Nation.

What was heartening for me was his unwavering and longstanding support for Asbarez, and the Armenian press in general. He was a staunch reader of not only our publication, but others. His visits to Asbarez always included thoughtful discussions about topics we had covered or the commentary we had published about current developments in Armenia and our community.

Our regular readers know that Nazareth was a long-time contributor to Asbarez. When I saw him last May at the La Crescenta Church, he approached me and said “it’s that time of the year.” Every year, around the beginning of summer for more than a decade, Nazareth and her daughter, Tamar, donated $10,000 to Asbarez, thus kicking off our newspaper’s anniversary celebrations.

At the time of the pandemic, when personal contact with friends was limited, I often kept in touch with him. During one telephone chat, Nazareth told me that for him the longevity and perseverance of Asbarez was important.

“For me it is important that Asbarez continues and prospers,” he told me, reiterating his conviction for the importance of Asbarez’s mission and the critical role that the Armenian press plays in our every-day lives.

“I am doing my part so that the Armenian press continues to prosper and becomes an important part of our schools and the community in general,” Nazareth added. “I like and read Asbarez because it’s very comprehensive and I like the variety of the issues it covers.”

Nazareth’s passion for the betterment of the Armenian community and advancement of our culture did not stop at Asbarez. He is know for his support of myriad organizations and causes in our community.

Over the years, Nazareth and his family have played an active role in the development of our community and have made contributions to the Armenian Cultural Foundation, Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, the Western Prelacy, the Tekeyan Cultural Association and the Nor Or newspaper to name a few.

The last time I saw Nazareth was on February 18 when we were both attending an event honoring Dr. Onnik and Kristine Keshishian at the Lark Musical Society. He was his usual cheerful self. When we parted ways that evening, he shook my hand and offered his words of encouragement and support, then said ցտեսութիւն—until we meet again.

I will remember that and the many other encounters that have humbled me and those who knew Nazareth.

With Nazareth’s passing, our community has lost a dedicated visionary and activist, whose belief in the power of the young generation has propelled and empowered many individuals and organization to realize their goals and mission. May his life serve as an example to all of us.

On behalf of the management of the Armenian Media Network, the editorial board and staff of Asbarez we offer our condolences to Nazareth Kevonian’s family. May he Rest in Peace.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has revised the ethnic identification of Ivan Aivazovsky on its website

The world-renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has revised the way it identifies famous seascape painter Ivan Aivazovsky to reflect his Armenian heritage, following complaints from community members and reporting by Asbarez.

Along with many community members, Taleen Setrakian also chronicled her efforts to address the mis-characterization of not only Aivazovsky’s heritage but also that of Arshile Gorky, who is listed as an “American, born Van Province, Ottoman Turkey,” on the website of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

The Met told Setrakian in an email shared with Asbarez that it was “undertaking a review” of how Aivazovsky was identified.

“We are currently undertaking additional revisions to our cataloguing of Ivan Aivazovsky, in order to ensure that his Armenian identity is duly recognized on our website,” the Met’s European Paintings Department said in an email in response to Setrakian’s inquiry regarding Aivazovsky’s misidentification.

“The Met regularly researches and examines objects in its collection in order to determine the most appropriate and accurate way to catalogue and present them. This includes the best way the complex national and cultural identities in this region during the nineteenth century,” the Met explained.

Originally, the Met had identified Aivazovsky as Ukrainian, including in the biographical notes that he was “born into an Armenian family.”

In the revised iteration, the Met has added his Armenian birth name next to his professional name and has amended the “Ukrainian” moniker with “Armenian, born Russian Empire [now Ukraine].”

In his biography, the Met has also emphasized Aivazovsky’s Armenian heritage by writing, “As a member of the city’s longstanding Armenian community, Aivazovsky had a rich cultural and linguistic background. He worked and exhibited widely, including in cities in present-day Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Russia, Turkey, and mainland Ukraine.”

The swift action by the Met is a small step in a larger effort to identify individuals nationality and ethnicity accurately.

The Museum of Modern Art, however, has not indicated that it will revisit its identification of Gorky. It must take the Met’s example and review its policies, especially since in 2010 a sprawling traveling retrospective of Arshile Gorky’s works that was also displayed in the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Los Angeles, diligently explored his Armenian heritage, the fact that he was a survivor of the Genocide and how that tragedy informed and impacted his art.

It is important for community members to take action to correct mistakes when they observe them. A first step can be to contact the Museum of Modern of Art in New York by writing to [email protected] and emphasize the need for the museum to properly list Gorky’s ethnic identity.