Author: Jirair Kafian

NYT Armenian President interview: Recognition is a strength. It’s not a weakness

Jirair Kafian
News.am, Armenia
Nov 2 2019
NYT Armenian President interview: Recognition is a strength. It’s not a weakness NYT Armenian President interview: Recognition is a strength. It’s not a weakness

20:51, 02.11.2019
                  

If you take Turkey recognizing the Armenian genocide, that will also be recognition of the fact Turkey is on its way to become a tolerant state, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian said during an interview with The New York Times’ Roger Cohen.

“Recognition of something that you have done wrong in ordinary life, in your family, with your friends, recognition is a strength. It’s not a weakness. If you take Turkey recognizing the Armenian genocide, that will also be recognition of the fact Turkey is on its way to become a tolerant state,” he said.

According to Armenpress, journalist Roger Cohen published a detailed article in The New York Times and touched upon the adoption by the US House of Representatives of the Armenian Genocide resolution.

“In every office there are images of Mount Ararat, which rises in Turkey, a symbol for Armenians of longing, pride, the hope of return and the suffering of the Armenian genocide that began in 1915 and involved the Ottoman Empire’s killing of more than one million Armenians,” Kohen wrote.

The author also turned to the history of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that today Armenia has closed borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and only borders with Georgia and Iran are open.

“Yet I found Armenians in upbeat mood! What do physical borders matter these days? The nearly three million citizens of Armenia are in constant touch with the many more millions of Armenians in the diaspora, who are sending money home. With a strong tech sector, Armenia sees itself as a start-up country. It’s looking forward more than back,” he noted. “The country’s bloodless revolution in 2018 has not delivered paradise, but it has eliminated fatalism. People feel they have the freedom to try what they want. Weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism brought down the old Armenian political class, much as massive demonstrations in Beirut, Baghdad and Santiago in recent weeks have brought down or shaken the governments of Lebanon, Iraq and Chile.

The author of an article entitled “The Spirit That Brought Down the Berlin Wall Lives On” in an interview with the Armenian President touched upon a wave of changes that swept people around the world. Armen Sarkissian noted that the old systems will no longer work today.

“We are living in a quantum world because more than half of life is virtual,” he said. The notion of democracies functioning through elections every few years is outdated. He called Armenia “one of the first labs” to find new “rules or behavior” for a world where every individual has a voice that “is exercised and expressed daily.”

Armenian Genocide Resolution Gains 20 New Co-Sponsors as Armenian Assembly Continues Advocacy

Jirair Kafian

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:

Telephone: (202) 393-3434

Web: www.aaainc.org

 

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
RESOLUTION GAINS 20 NEW CO-SPONSORS AS ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY CONTINUES
ADVOCACY

 

H.Res.296 Scheduled for
Today, October 29th

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, twenty additional Members of
Congress co-sponsored the Armenian Genocide resolution, H.Res.296, a day before
the vote on the House floor, as the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly)
continues its advocacy efforts on this historic vote.

 

The new co-sponsors include
Representatives Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Anthony Brown (D-MD), Jim Cooper
(D-TN), Charlie Crist (D-FL), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Madeleine Dean (D-PA),
Lois Frankel (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes (D-DC), Will Hurd (R-TX), Dan Kildee
(D-MI), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Cedric Richmond (D-LA),
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Eric Swalwell
(D-CA), Van Taylor (R-TX), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), and
Maxine Waters (D-CA).

 

Last night, the U.S. House of
Representatives Rules Committee adopted a rule for consideration of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, setting the stage for a vote on the House floor
today.

 

“We applaud the action taken by the
Rules Committee led by Chairman James McGovern, the remarks by Committee Member
Donna Shalala and the powerful testimony by House Foreign Affairs Chairman
Eliot Engel along with Representatives Chris Smith and Anna Eshoo,” stated
Armenian Assembly of America Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “Today’s
adoption of the rule for H.Res. 296 sets the stage for a historic vote on the
House floor. As Chairman McGovern highlighted, if dark chapters in our history
are not acknowledged they’re doomed to be repeated. We urge all Members to
support this bipartisan, human rights legislation and ensure that the days of
genocide denial are over, and that America’s proud chapter in helping the
survivors of the first genocide of the twentieth century is honored and
preserved,” Ardouny continued.

 

Established in 1972, the Armenian
Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization
promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly
is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

 

 

###

NR# 2019-069

Available
online:

‘In order to be real leader it’s important for the person to know himself’ – Armenian PM

Jirair Kafian

‘In order to be real leader it’s important for the person to know himself’ – Armenian PM

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 13:43,

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. During the annual conference of the international network “Education For All” Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan answered to the question of 11th grader from Stepanavan Edik Nazaryan whether “a person is born as a leader or becomes a leader”.

“Every person is a leader because it leads himself at any moment. Everyone decides by himself what he should do, such as to wake up in the morning, where to go, except from the cases when there are arrangements. Usually by saying a leader people understand the political leader, but there are also leaders in education, science and environment spheres. Political leadership is conditionality. For being a real leader the most important for the person is to know himself. I am convinced that every person is talented, it’s another matter to what extent we provide conditions for the citizen to reveal his talents”, the PM said.

According to him, the person’s greatest talent is to be able to know himself and guide his own personality.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan




Azerbaijani hacking group behind attacks on PM’s official website

Jirair Kafian
Panorama, Armenia
Oct 18 2019
Society 20:02 18/10/2019 Armenia

“The official webpage of Armenian Prime Minister has been restored and is fully operational,” expert in information security Samvel Martirosyan told Panorama.am. As reported earlier hackers launched attacks on the website and posted the video speech by Azerbaijani president on its front page.

As Martirosyan informed the attack was launched by an “Anti-Armenia” hacking group from Azerbaijan. It took less than an hour to remove the content and restore the page, Martirosyan added. 

’s-official-website/2183692

Nineteen children in Artashat taken to hospital with symptoms of food poisoning

Jirair Kafian
ARKA, Armenia
Oct 15 2019

YEREVAN, October 15. /ARKA/. Nineteen schoolchildren have been hospitalized from a secondary school in the town of Artashat in Ararat province with symptoms of food poisoning. A press officer for the Investigative Committee of Armenia Naira Harutyunyan said the children were in all likelihood poisoned after eating food they bought from the school cafeteria.

She said a criminal case has been instituted on the grounds of Part 2 of Article 279 (production or sale of goods, performance of work or  provision of services that do not meet safety requirements) of the Criminal Code of Armenia. -0-


The Gurdjieff Ensemble Connects New York Audiences to Komitas with a Unique Twist

Jirair Kafian 
AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Website: www.agbu.org
  
PRESS RELEASE
  
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
  
THE GURDJIEFF ENSEMBLE CONNECTS NEW YORK AUDIENCES TO KOMITAS WITH A UNIQUE 
TWIST
The Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at New York's renowned Symphony Space was filled 
with applause as hundreds of Komitas enthusiasts, Armenian and non-Armenians 
alike, stood to their feet for an encore from the critically acclaimed 
Gurdjieff Ensemble on the night of Friday, September 27th. The concert, 
organized by AGBU's Performing Arts Department (PAD) in celebration of Komitas' 
150th Anniversary, was the second stop in the Ensemble's American debut tour, 
performing only one day after appearing before a packed house at the World 
Music Festival in Chicago. 
The performance was planned with AGBU's PAD's mission in mind to support and 
present emerging and established artists as well as continuing its initiatives 
to connect rich Armenian art to diverse audiences. Akin to Komitas, composer 
and spiritual leader G.I Gurdjieff, the namesake of the Ensemble, travelled the 
world collecting and preserving ethnographic melodies. With over a century 
separating Komitas and audience members, the Ensemble's concert linked people 
from all over New York to the rich cultural legacy of Armenian music. 
The AGBU PAD has been proudly collaborating with the Gurdjieff Ensemble since 
2013 through AGBU's Musical Armenia Program (MAP), which connects students to 
the best Armenian musicians in Yerevan. Director Hayk Arsenyan was excited to 
present the Gurdjieff Ensemble because of its unique approach of interpreting 
Komitas' music. "The concert was programmed to showcase American music spanning 
thousands of years," Arsenyan noted,  "from the pre-Christian dances of Msho 
Shoror to the 10th century music of St. Gregory, and later the music of 
Gurdjieff and Komitas." 
Lusine Grigoryan, one of Armenia's most preeminent pianists, captivated the 
audience with her piano performance, which was showcased to mirror the 
Ensemble's performance of piano works. Musical Director Levon Eskenian 
explained that most of the original music of Gurdjieff was composed for the 
piano, thus the Ensemble was faced with the challenge of interpreting piano 
notes to an assortment of different instruments. Yet, it tackled this challenge 
with grace and spirit, using traditional Armenian instruments such as the tar, 
kamancha, duduk, zurna, oud, and kanon. Aramayis Nikoghosyan, oud player of the 
Ensemble, added his own spin by including the kshots, the flabellum used in the 
Armenian Divine Liturgy (Badarak), emphasizing the spiritual elements of 
Gurdjieff's traditions.
Not only were audience members taken through a voyage through time, they were 
also taken to various regions of the world. The program featured music from 
Karin, Mush, and other areas of Asia. 
Moments of haunting duduk notes were juxtaposed with vibrant percussion sounds 
of the tmbuk, taking the audience on an expedition through the vast extent of 
Armenian music. "There is a new language in classical music based on Armenian 
music and instruments," Eskenian remarked. 
The Gurdjieff Ensemble did indeed share this new language with audience 
members, as many musicians took turns using several different Armenian 
instruments in the span of one song. In total, 16 different instruments were 
used in their performance, illustrating the harmonious expertise of each 
musician.
Msho Shoror, the final work performed before the encore, was originally "an 
ancient piece from seven traditional dances that thousands danced to in the St. 
Garabed Monastery, which is no longer standing, explained Eskenian. The 
Monastery predates Christian times and later became an important pilgrimage 
site. "Though the monastery was destroyed, we still have the music."
Evidently, attendees left with a lingering connection to the music of the 10th 
century and the historic melodies preserved through the genius of the Gurdjieff 
Ensemble.
  
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world's largest non-profit 
organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, 
cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a 
difference in the lives   of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the 
Armenian diaspora.  Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: 
to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit 
www.agbu.org.

Iran Ready to Export Engineering Services to Armenia

Jirair Kafian
Iran Front Page
Oct 1 2019
By IFP Editorial Staff
–

October 1, 2019 – 07:24

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has discussed issues of mutual interest in a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Armen Sarkissian in the city of Yerevan.

During the Monday meeting, the two sides highlighted the importance of developing relations between Tehran and Yerevan in different political, economic and cultural fields.

Rouhani said, “Further development of relations with neighbouring countries, including Armenia, is a tenet of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Iranian president highlighted the cultural and historical commonalities between the two countries and nations, and said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran and Armenia have ample capacities in different fields, including energy, transit and transportation, tourism, and industry, which can be used to the benefit of both nations’ interests.”

Rouhani further stressed the capabilities of the private sectors of the two countries, and said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to share with Armenia its experience in different technical and engineering fields, dam construction and energy.”

He further highlighted the significance of cooperation under the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), saying, “Iran’s participation in Eurasian Union’s economic relations can be a very good opportunity for deepening bilateral economic relations, and also at the regional level.”

The president also called for enhanced relations and cooperation between the two countries’ free economic zones, including Aras and Meghri, and further attention to the environment and optimal use of the two neighbours’ tourism potentialities.

In turn, Sarkissian stressed that his country attaches great importance to cementing its ties with Iran. “Armenia is seeking to develop relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in different fields, including economy, industry, energy and environment.”

“The Eurasian region can extend its activities, and in this regard, we are ready to develop relations Tehran,” he added.

The Iranian president arrived in Yerevan on Monday in order to attend a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which Iran is going to join as of October 27 as its first membership in a regional economic union.

Before leaving Tehran for Yerevan, Rouhani had noted that joining the EAEU is an opportunity to enhance the economic power at the regional level before a competition on a global scale.

Based on Iran’s agreement with the EAEU, 502 Iranian goods will be subject to preferential tariff rates for the exports to the EAEU members.

The Eurasian Economic Union is an international organization of regional economic integration with international legal personality. It has international legal personality and is established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.

The UN expresses its full support for Armenia’s reform agenda. Guterres

Jirair Kafian
  • 25.09.2019

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  • Armenia:

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  • arm

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  • rus

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As part of his working visit to New York, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.


The bilateral meeting between Nikol Pashinyan and Antonio Guterres took place after the ceremonial handshake and the signing of a note in the UN guest book by the RA Prime Minister.


The Secretary General of the United Nations welcomed the Prime Minister of Armenia at the headquarters of the United Nations and his participation in the work of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Antonio Guterres noted that the UN follows the processes taking place in Armenia, welcomes the democratic developments and is ready to continue supporting Armenia and its people in making progress.


The RA Prime Minister noted that he was happy for the opportunity to meet with the UN Secretary General and thanked the UN Office in Armenia for its support in the parliamentary elections held at the end of last year. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that this assistance also contributed to holding the most democratic elections in Armenia in the last 2 decades, which were assessed as free and fair by the international community and observers. According to the Prime Minister, the new government of Armenia is committed to implementing a large package of reforms aimed at protecting human rights, ensuring the rule of law, reforming the judicial sector, fighting corruption, ensuring equal opportunities, and Armenia values ​​the support of international partner structures, including the United Nations, in implementing the reforms quickly and successfully.


The Secretary General of the United Nations welcomed the initiative of the Armenian authorities and emphasized that the United Nations fully supports the reform agenda of Armenia. Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed satisfaction with the work with the UN office in Armenia, noting that the government cooperates effectively with the UN representation in Armenia.


The Prime Minister of Armenia and the Secretary General of the United Nations also exchanged thoughts on the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, global challenges, international and regional developments.

Asbarez: Biden Calls for Reaffirmation of U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide

Jirair Kafian
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The ANCA offers this point-by-point comparison of Biden’s record on the Armenian Genocide both as U.S. Senator and as Vice-President.

Democratic Presidential Frontrunner Stakes out Position in a Letter to the ANCA

WASHINGTON—Former Vice President Joe Biden has written a letter to the Armenian National Committee of America declaring that: “The United States must reaffirm, once and for all, our record on the Armenian Genocide.”  The full text of this letter and a detailed review of his lengthy record on the Armenian Genocide, both as a U.S. Senator and as Vice President during the Obama-Biden Administration, are provided below.

Text Of Joe Biden’s September 16, 2019 Letter To The ANCA

September 16, 2019

Armenian National Committee of America
c/o Aram S. Hamparian, Executive Director

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your commitment and continued leadership to strengthen the U.S.-Armenian relationship. At a time when democratic principles are under attack around the world and decades of progress are at risk, bold leadership in defense of our shared values and our shared vision for the future is more important than ever.

The United States must reaffirm, once and for all, our record on the Armenian Genocide. We must never forget or remain silent about this horrific and systematic campaign of extermination that resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children and the mass deportation of 2 million Armenians from their homes. If we do not fully acknowledge, commemorate, and teach our children about genocide, the words “never again” lose their meaning. The facts must be as clear and as powerful for future generations as for those whose memories are seared by tragedy. Failing to remember or acknowledge the fact of a genocide only paves the way for future mass atrocities.

U.S.-Armenian relations have progressed because of your voice and your leadership, and I trust you will keep speaking out and fighting injustice wherever you find it.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Senator Biden:

As a Senator, Joe Biden consistently supported issues of special concern to Americans of Armenian heritage:

Senator Biden’s record on the Armenian Genocide is provided below:

— Senator Biden supported legislative initiatives to recognize the Armenian Genocide, dating back to his work with Senator Bob Dole to seek passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution (S.J.Res.212) in 1990.

— Senator Biden, in response to a 2007 question from the Los Angeles Times editorial board about the Armenian Genocide Resolution (S.Res.106), said: “I support it, and the reason is simple: I have found in my experience that you cannot have a solid relationship with a country based on fiction. It occurred. It occurred.”

— Senator Biden – in connection with his leadership in pressing the George W. Bush Administration to explain its actions against U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans – secured a number of commitments from the Administration, among them that: 1) The State Department would brief Members of Congress on its efforts to promote Turkish recognition of the real history of the Armenian Genocide, and; 2) U.S. ambassadors to Yerevan and Ankara would exchange visits for the purpose of ending Turkey’s economic blockade of Armenia.

— Senator Biden authored a 2007 resolution, which was adopted unanimously in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to honor Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in Turkey for writing about the Armenian Genocide.

Vice President Biden:

The Obama-Biden Administration– over the course of two full terms in office – pivoted hard against the spirit and letter of its high-profile campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide, deepening official U.S. complicity in Turkey’s genocide denials and ongoing obstruction of justice for this crime.

The Obama-Biden Administration’s record on the Armenian Genocide if provided below:

— The Obama-Biden Administration, soon after taking office, broke its repeatedly stated and explicitly articulated promise to properly condemn and commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

— The Obama-Biden Administration formally opposed the 2010 Congressional resolution commemorating the Armenian Genocide, encouraging U.S. legislators – in writing – to block passage of this measure.

— The Obama-Biden Administration’s Secretary of State, in 2012, publicly dismissed the Armenian Genocide as a matter for “historical debate,” subsequently ignoring calls by 60 U.S. Representatives to renounce this act of outright genocide denial.

— The Obama-Biden Administration filed a 2013 Amicus Curiae brief opposing Supreme Court consideration of a case allowing descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors to pursue insurance claims.

— The Obama-Biden Administration pressured Armenia to sign and support the 2009 Turkey-Armenia Protocols, a reckless and irresponsible accord that included provisions for creating a “historical commission” for the purpose – long advanced by Ankara – of calling into question the reality of the Armenian Genocide.

Armenia to open Embassy in Israel

Jirair Kafian

Armenia to open Embassy in Israel

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 20:02,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia will discuss the draft decision of opening an Embassy in Israel, ARMENPRESS reports the issue is included in the agenda of September 19 session of the Cabinet.

The substantiation is that it is important to establish the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Tel Aviv as soon as possible (end of 2019, beginning of 2020) in order to ensure sustainable development of Armenian-Israeli bilateral relations.

”The establishment of the Armenian Embassy in Israel, by which bilateral relations will be fostered, is aimed at the better protection of Armenia’s interests in the region’’, the substantiation of the draft reads, adding that it is also aimed at retaining the rights of Armenia over Armenian historical-cultural heritage.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Israel were established in 1992. During the recent years the cooperation dynamics between Armenia and Israel significantly rose.  

Ambassador of Armenia to Israel during the period of 2000-2008 was former foreign minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian (residency in Paris), Armenian Ambassador to Egypt from 2012-2018 Armen Melkonyan was appointed also Ambassador to Israel (dual accreditation), while from 2018 until now Armen Smbatyan is the Ambassador of Armenia to Israel (residence in Yerevan).

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan