Author: Karagyozian Lena

Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Tbilisi: comments from Baku and Yerevan

Karagyozian Lena

July 19 2022

  • JAMnews
  • Baku-Yerevan

Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Tbilisi

Yerevan and Baku continue to discuss the meeting of Foreign Ministers Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, which took place in Tbilisi. Georgian Foreign Minister Ilya Darchiashvili said that the Georgian side is ready to host meetings between representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia and help in resolving issues. At the end of the meeting, he also stated that the foreign ministers did not achieve concrete results at the first bilateral talks. In his opinion, they cannot be achieved in one round.

What was reported about the Tbilisi talks between Bayramov and Mirzoyan in Armenia and Azerbaijan, how it is assessed by analysts in Baku and Yerevan.

Prior to the talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, the Armenian Foreign Minister met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili in Tbilisi as part of his working visit. The official website of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported that the parties talked about further intensification of political dialogue and mutual visits. Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that further development of relations with Georgia is of strategic importance for Armenia.

“During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed a number of issues on regional security and stability. Ararat Mirzoyan expressed gratitude to the Georgian side for hosting the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan and readiness to contribute to peace and stability in the region. An exchange of views on the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan took place,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

Armenian media also reported the words of Georgian Foreign Minister Ilya Darchiashvili, who spoke about Georgia’s readiness to receive representatives from Yerevan and Baku and help resolve issues. He stated that Tbilisi helped start the dialogue:

“We were able to support our partners and friends. Our goal is for our neighboring countries to achieve concrete results in the course of these negotiations, so that we can all strengthen peace and security in the region through joint coordination and very close communication.”

However, at the end of the meeting, Ilya Darchiashvili stated that during these negotiations, his colleagues did not achieve concrete results. In his opinion, it was impossible to achieve them in one round.

After the meeting in Tbilisi, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported that during the meeting, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov

  • touched upon issues related to the settlement of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
  • discussed, in this regard, progress in fulfilling previous commitments,
  • exchanged views on possible next steps.

“Minister Mirzoyan reaffirmed the position of the Armenian side that on the path to achieving a stable and lasting peace in the region, it is important to have a political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and in this context stressed the importance of using the institution and experience of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing in accordance with its international mandate. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia noted the importance of solving humanitarian problems, including the release and return of Armenian prisoners of war, clarifying the fate of the missing. Readiness of the parties to continue discussions was recorded,” the Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called the Tbilisi meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan a positive step. In his microblog on Twitter, he wrote that a direct dialogue would help resolve the differences between the two countries.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry also reports that on July 17, at the initiative of the American side, a telephone conversation took place between Ararat Mirzoyan and US Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried. The Minister presented to his interlocutor the latest developments in the process of regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and gave details of the meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart in Tbilisi.

“Ararat Mirzoyan noted that the Armenian side continues to emphasize the importance of the role of the OSCE Minsk Group and the co-chairing countries in the process of the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the message on the website of the Armenian Foreign Ministry says.

According to political scientist Tigran Grigoryan, it is obvious that at this stage there is a serious crisis in the negotiation process. He sees the Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting as “a step taken towards overcoming this crisis.”

He believes that the meeting was organized on the initiative of the European Union. The political scientist does not consider it a coincidence that EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar visited the region a few days before the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Judging by the reports, there are no grounds for optimism,” Tigran Grigoryan stressed, commenting on the meeting in Tbilisi at the request of JAMnews.

The political scientist believes that the rhetoric of Azerbaijan has become more aggressive, and recalls that the other day Aliyev spoke about the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Nagorno-Karabakh and threatened Armenia again.

According to the analyst, the main topics in the agenda of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations are:

• settlement of the Karabakh conflict

• delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border

• the process of unblocking the region

• humanitarian issues – in particular, the return of Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan

The political scientist believes that these issues were on the negotiating table of Mirzoyan-Bayramov.

“The Armenian side raised the issue of the return of the prisoners, the Azerbaijani side, as a counterbalance, once again mentioned the problem of Azerbaijanis who went missing in the first Karabakh war,” says Tigran Grigoryan.

According to the political scientist, the invasion of the Azerbaijani armed forces into the sovereign territory of Armenia in May last year was also discussed at the Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting.

“This issue is one of the problems that hinders progress in the process of delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” the analyst said.

He recalls that before the first meeting in Brussels, Armenia stated that prior to the establishment of a commission on border delimitation, appropriate mechanisms should be introduced at the border, which will create a favorable atmosphere for starting the process. The Azerbaijani side considered this requirement a preliminary condition and did not accept it.

According to Grigoryan, during the meeting held in December 2021 in Brussels, the Armenian side made a concession, agreeing to establish a delimitation commission without introducing security mechanisms.

“It is clear that this issue is being discussed, but there is no progress. Azerbaijan is not going, for example, to withdraw troops from any point and is not ready to discuss the issue of security within the framework of this commission,” the political scientist stressed.

When asked whether Georgia can become an active mediator in the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, given the fact that the first Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting took place in Tbilisi, the political scientist replied:

“Georgia provided a venue for the meeting, the country’s authorities have nothing to do with its organization. I will not make far-reaching conclusions. It is possible that such meetings will be held in Georgia, but I would not consider Georgia as a serious mediator in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan issued a statement following the bilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Tbilisi on July 16, 2022.

“The ministers touched upon issues related to the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In this regard, the fulfillment of the obligations assumed by both sides was discussed, views were exchanged on possible further steps,” the Foreign Ministry noted.

“Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that all efforts should be aimed at advancing interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia on the basis of post-conflict realities that emerged after the resolution of the armed conflict between the two states. In this context, the importance of implementing all the conditions of the tripartite statement was noted, signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, in particular the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan.

When touching upon humanitarian issues, Minister Jeyhun Bayramov drew attention to the need to clarify the fate of about 4,000 missing Azerbaijanis.

The ministers stressed their determination to continue the direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Both ministers thanked the Georgian side for organizing the meeting in Georgia,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in the statement.

According to political observer Agshin Kerimov, the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia Jeyhun Bayramov and Ararat Mirzoyan in Tbilisi took place on the initiative of the West.

“Although this dialogue between the two ministers is regarded in the context of bilateral efforts, the statements of Western political circles made after this meeting, show that the West is the secret initiator of bilateral discussions between Bayramov and Mirzoyan,” he said.

The expert said that the Tbilisi meeting would have a strong impact on the development of the dialogue in a bilateral format. It has already set a precedent for third party mediation.

“As for the topics that the ministers discussed, I think they should be viewed through the prism of Ilham Aliyev’s speech on the eve of the meeting in Tbilisi. Azerbaijan’s position was clearly presented there.

The President of Azerbaijan focuses mainly on the fulfillment of the conditions of the items 4 and 9 of the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020 – on the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from Karabakh and the opening of the Zangezur corridor. Apparently, these two directions can be considered the main points in the discussions between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Azerbaijan speaks from a position of strength in the negotiations, and official Yerevan is trying to somehow present all this to its society as a more or less digestible version. It takes time, and during this period the Armenian government is trying to pull itself together.

Despite all these ups and downs, Azerbaijan’s ability to control the actions of Armenia, its incomparable military superiority, and its attractiveness to international actors puts Armenia in a not very advantageous position.

Azerbaijan is currently receiving support from both Russia and the West. Turkey, as a center of power, is an ally of Baku. But unlike Turkey, Russia and the West leave room for maneuvering a dose of support towards Armenia.

My personal prediction for the future of the negotiations is that Azerbaijan will be able to maintain its advantage and continue to put pressure on Armenia through reminders of the possibility of resolving issues by force.

At the moment, Baku is developing military plans on open issues and turning it into a lever in the course of the negotiation process.

In a sense, Azerbaijan is giving Armenia time to ensure the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the territories where Russian peacekeepers are stationed. But at times, Baku’s patience becomes short, and the military scenario for resolving this issue turns into a subject of negotiations.

Armenia does not have the strength for another military confrontation and is well aware that Azerbaijan is developing its views on the Karabakh economic zone in parallel with its views on the East Zangezur one. In this regard, we should not forget about the likelihood of directing the arrows of possible military operations directly to the border zones.

I think that in Bayramov’s dialogue with Mirzoyan, along with humanitarian issues and the problem of border delimitation, the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Karabakh, Baku also emphasized the force factor.

With regard to disputes over humanitarian issues, Armenia bears a great responsibility here. Because both in the years of the first Karabakh war and in the days of the second Karabakh war, Armenia grossly violated the humanitarian rules for conducting hostilities, but so far refuses to report on their results.

Azerbaijan, in turn, recalls all this and seeks to transfer this process to the plane of international judicial instances,” Karimov said in his comment.

https://jam-news.net/meeting-of-foreign-ministers-of-armenia-and-azerbaijan-in-tbilisi-comments-from-baku-and-yerevan/


Meeting of Azerbaijani-Armenian commission on border delimitation to be held in August

Karagyozian Lena
ARMINFO
Armenia – July 19 2022

ArmInfo.The meeting of commissions on delimitation  and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border will take place in  August in Moscow. This was announced by the office of Deputy Prime  Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan at the request of the Public TV of  Armenia. A specific 

date for the meeting is still under discussion.  The formation of  such a commission was envisaged by a tripartite statement by the  leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Asbarez: Prominent Human Rights Groups Criticize EU-Azerbaijan Gas Deal

Karagyozian Lena
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Armenia, Artsakh, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) signed an MoU with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan


Prominent human rights groups, among them Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have criticized an EU deal to ramp up gas supplies from Azerbaijan, as Europe scrambles to secure non-Russian sources of energy, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.

The European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday hailed Azerbaijan as a “crucial” and “reliable” energy supplier, as she announced an agreement with Baku to expand the southern gas corridor, the 3,500km pipeline taking Caspian Sea gas to Europe.

Standing alongside Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, Von der Leyen said the EU was diversifying away from Russia and turning “towards more reliable, trustworthy partners”, adding she was glad to count Azerbaijan among them.

Under the agreement, gas supplies to the EU from Azerbaijan are forecast to reach 20bn cubic meters a year in 2027, up from 8bn currently. Supplies are set to increase to 12bn by 2023.

Human Rights Watch said the EU should not have signed the memorandum, nor enter a mooted new bilateral agreement, without insisting on political reforms: the release of scores of political prisoners and changes to laws that heavily restrict non-governmental organizations and the media.

Azerbaijan uses oil and gas “to silence the EU on fundamental rights issues,” said Philippe Dam, acting EU director at Human Rights Watch. “The reality is that Azerbaijan authorities have been famous for cracking down on civil society activists investigating corruption, especially when it comes to oil and gas.”
“The EU should not say a country is reliable when it is restricting the activities of civil society groups and crushing political dissent,” Dam said.

Other campaigners accused the EU of undermining its climate goals, while enriching autocrats. “It is extraordinary that the EU seems intent on not learning from its current predicament, and is pushing to build more pipelines which would lock us into gas in the long term,” said Barnaby Pace, a senior gas campaigner at Global Witness. “A rapid boost for renewable energy and home insulation should be the obvious answer to the crises Europe is staring at – and certainly not repeating the mistakes that have taken us to this point.”

Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s Brussels office, said “repressive and unaccountable regimes are rarely reliable partners” and added that “privileging short-term objectives at the expense of human rights is a recipe for disaster.”

West could impose sweeping sanctions on Armenia – Gagik Makaryan

Karagyozian Lena
ARMINFO
Armenia –
David Stepanyan

ArmInfo.The West could impose sweeping  sanctions on Armenia, Gagik Makaryan, Chairman of the Republican  Union of Employers of Armenia, said in an interview with ArmInfo.  

“We are forecasting further deterioration of the economic situation  along with the growing geopolitical conflict between Russia and the  West. In Armenia’s case, the conflict could well result in  restrictions and sanctions on the country. We can see the United  States, Great Britain and the EU, along with growing pressure on  Russia, are imposing growing demands on other nations to get Russia  totally isolated. And Armenia is not an exception,” Mr Makaryan said. 

In this context, the expert believes that certain demands that could  be imposed on Armenia would be in conflict with the country’s  membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. Along with the U.S.  financial aid to Armenia and EU influence in the context of a number  of socio-economic programmes in the country, Yerevan has to make a  hard choice. Similarly, Armenia is under the influence of the United  Nations and other international agencies, which are implementing a  number of development programmes in Armenia.  And the U.N. is  obviously against Russia now. 

In this context, Mr Makaryan is forecasting further deterioration of  the situation. Therefore, Armenia’s leadership should find  alternative solutions as soon as possible – less economic than  diplomatic ones.  Armenia is, to an extent, facing the consequences  of anti-Russian sanctions now given the serious restrictions on  transfers of large amounts of money in USD terms to and from Armenia.  In turn, Armenia’s Central Bank and commercial banks are extremely  cautious, stay out of mischief in dealing with their partners and  with foreign diplomatic missions. 

“Given a substantial share of foreign capital in Armenian banks, we  can see that even the largest banks are far from being independent in  implementing their monetary policies. They constantly have to look  back at the situation stemming from the Ukraine crisis and met the  West’s wishes, which causes problems in our banking system,” Mr  Makaryan said.    

Armenians in North and East Syria are reviving their culture

Karagyozian Lena
   
Kurdish Press, Belgium July 14 2022
Armenians in North and East Syria are trying to revive their culture through Armenian language courses. The students emphasize the importance of preserving Armenian culture and spreading it and say that they are happy with this opportunity provided by the Autonomous Administration.
 NEWS  14 Jul 2022, Thu – 10:44 2022-07-14T10:44:00 HASSAKA,HANAR IBRAHIM

The Armenian Community Council of North and East Syria launched the first Armenian language courses this June. The Council tries to teach Armenians the Armenian language and train teachers. The course will last 3 months and will be taught 4 hours a day.

25 people who participated in the courses stated that this course is an important step for the Armenian language and culture. They also expressed their happiness with this opportunity after they were deprived of it due to the policies of assimilation and genocide that were carried out against them.

Patil Girigor said: “This course is very important for the revival of Armenian culture and its preservation. Especially after we were deprived of it due to the previous systems. This course is very important for us so that we can speak our language like other groups.”

Hayik Sosiyan also expressed his happiness and said: “This is the first time we are participating in Armenian language courses. This happened thanks to the Autonomous Administration, which gave us the opportunity to learn our language after many years of deprivation.” Sosiyan explained that the Armenian culture and language were disappearing due to the massacre of 1915 by the Ottoman state and the racist policy in Syria.

Students call on the Autonomous Administration to include the Armenian language in official teaching materials so that the Armenian language can spread.

With the beginning of the July 19th Revolution, Armenians also took their place in the revolution. Side by side in the same trench with other components, they defended the region. The revolution gave Armenians the opportunity to gain their rights and actively participate in the administration.

https://www.hawarnews.com/en/haber/armenians-in-north-and-east-syria-are-reviving-their-culture-h31762.html

————-
Armenian News note: You can watch the video report in Arabic at this link: 
في ظل الإدارة الذاتية لشمال وشرق سوريا.. الأرمن يحيون ثقافتهم المندثرة 

Ararat Home Secures Glendale Presence with Windsor Acquisition

Karagyozian Lena
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Community, Latest, News, Top Stories

Windsor, a Senior living home in Glendale, CA


MISSION HILLS, Calif.—Ararat Home of Los Angeles, Inc. announced an agreement to purchase Windsor, a Senior living community in Glendale.

Windsor is a leading provider of senior living and healthcare services in the Glendale area. Occupying almost a full city block in central Glendale, the community offers 73 independent living units and can accommodate 38 residents in its assisted living and 28 residents in its skilled nursing sections.

Ararat Home Board of Trustees Chair Sinan Sinanian said, “For over 20 years, we have been exploring opportunities that would give us a stronger presence in Glendale and allow us to deliver the Ararat Home Experience to an even broader segment of our community. We are delighted that this Windsor acquisition is perfectly aligned with those goals and with our mission of providing quality care to our seniors and elderly. With the ongoing support of our friends and community, this purchase will undoubtedly be a bright and promising future of growth for both Windsor and for Ararat Home.”

Windsor has been part of the HumanGood (previously be.group/Southern California Presbyterian Homes) family of care communities since 1937. As California’s largest nonprofit provider of senior housing and services and one of the ten largest organizations of its kind in the nation, HumanGood has an excellent industry reputation and has established a strong foundation of quality care and services at Windsor.

With over 70 years of experience, Ararat Home intends to build upon that foundation to continue offering services that engage residents to thrive and live rich and rewarding lives. Ararat Home looks forward to a smooth transition and to welcoming current and future Windsor residents, their families and staff members into the larger Ararat Home Family.

Ararat Home and HumanGood are presently working together to obtain licensing and regulatory approvals of the agreed-upon sale. Both parties anticipate the process to conclude successfully and hope to close the sale before the end of this year.

Film producer Armen Grigoryan has died [during a court hearing in Yerevan over the criminal case launched against him]

Karagyozian Lena
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenia –
, 18:01

 

Film producer Armen Grigoryan has died․ The Ambulance CJSC confirmed the news to Armenpress.

During a court hearing in Yerevan over the criminal case launched against him, Armen Grigoryan lost consciousness. The ambulance was unable to save his life.

Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan has demanded an explanation regarding the possible circumstances that led to the death of Armen Grigoryan.

“It is extremely unacceptable and worrisome that in the conditions of pre-trial detention, the right to healthcare is not guaranteed, health problems are not properly identified and addressed, which leads to such a tragic consequence,” the Ombudsperson said in a statement.

She requested clarifications from the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Justice regarding Armen Grigoryan’s diagnosed illnesses, the measures taken to treat them, and other possible circumstances that led to his death.

Kristinne Grigoryan pledged to be consistent in bringing the culprits to justice and expressed condolences to Mr. Grigoryan’s family and friends.

The reforms planned in the field of Civil Aviation were discussed at the Prime Minister

Karagyozian Lena

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YEREVAN, JULY 14, ARMENPRESS. Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a consultation took place, during which issues related to systemic reforms planned in the Civil Aviation Committee were discussed, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

In particular, reference was made to the activities of the committee, its structure, the involvement of high-level specialists, the provision of aviation safety, the training of pilots and other personnel, and other issues. The existing problems in the aviation sector and the measures implemented or planned for the near future to solve them were also discussed.

The representatives of the departments participating in the consultation made various observations and recommendations.

Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that the strategic goal of the Government is to bring Armenian aviation in line with the best international standards. The Head of the Government tasked to continue the discussions and update the package of reforms based on their results.

Asbarez: ANCA-WR Welcomes New Summer 2022 Interns

Karagyozian Lena
by Contributor

 

 

 

in Community, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

ANCA-WR Summer 2022 Interns


The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region welcomed this summer’s interns who are determined to mark their place in the Armenian Cause. With six students and recent graduates coming from various academic backgrounds, they will be exposed to the organizational inner workings and gain skills that will serve crucial to their Armenian American advocacy efforts. Throughout the journey, interns will also connect with several professionals who will provide great mentorship and quality lectures on their specific fields of expertise.

“This summer, we are very honored to welcome our new interns that are deeply committed to advocating for the Armenian Cause and representing the Armenian American community,” said ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq. “We are optimistic to see the various goals these young activists want to accomplish in advancing the Armenian Cause and ready to support them in the realization of their initiatives.”

With the 2022 Midterm Elections around the corner, the interns will have a unique opportunity to develop projects that showcase their talents and inspire civic engagement to support pro-Armenian policies. Different areas of focus also include government affairs, community outreach, education, and media relations.

Five of six new ANCA-WR Summer 2022 Interns

The ANCA-WR Summer 2022 interns are:

Maria Akhverdyan—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Political Science.

Mary Bejanyan—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), History.

Sarah Kibarian—Pepperdine University, Economics and Philosophy.

Mary Kouyumjian—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Political Science.

Tony Ordoukhanian— Pasadena City College, Political Science

Christina Sorfazian—University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Sociology

Maria Akhverdyan

Maria Akhverdyan is a second-year student at UCLA majoring in Political Science. She has immersed herself in governmental proceedings at a local and national level with the objective of enforcing positive change throughout a larger scope. Maria will continue her education by attending law school, and later pursuing a career as an attorney. She hopes to continue implementing change in the political field through multi-faceted means that will become the building blocks and a precedent for greater change.

“If I am asked where is the place on the earth that one can come across many miracles, I would name Armenia. Involuntarily you are surprised in such a small place on the earth it is possible to meet such monuments and such people, who can be the ornaments and pride of the whole world.” – Rockwell Kent

Mary Bejanyan

Mary Bejanyan is excited to work for the ANCA-WR this summer. Since she had already participated in the ANCA Summer Academy in DC last year, she wanted to further her contributions to Hye Tahd by completing the ANCA-WR internship and taking local and statewide steps in order to benefit the Armenian Cause.

“It was in Armenia that the flood first abated, and the dove alighted.” -Lord Byron

Sarah Kibarian

Sarah Kibarian is a junior studying Economics and Philosophy at Pepperdine University. She plans to earn her Ph.D. in economics and apply her knowledge of economics and finance to drafting public policy. She is passionate about social change, funding education, and improving the lives and circumstances of Armenians in Armenia.

“To serve Armenia is to serve civilization” – William E. Gladstone

Mary Kouyumjian

Mary Kouyumjian graduated from UCLA this year with a bachelors in Political Science. She plans on going to law school to study international law and human rights. She joined ANCA-WR to explore opportunities diaspora Armenians have to help Armenia and expand on her current knowledge of the political situation in Armenia. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, painting, drawing, and watching movies.

“It is simply in the nature of Armenian to study, to learn, to question, to speculate, to discover, to invent, to revise, to restore, to preserve, to make, and to give.” – William Saroyan

Tony Ordoukhanian

Tony Ordoukhanian currently attends Pasadena City College. He is majoring in Political Science and serves as the President of the school’s Armenian Students Association. His favorite hobbies are reading books, watching movies or TV shows, doing photography, and playing ping pong with friends! His experience in public service and political activism have continued to grow over the years, especially while interning at ANCA-WR. After participating in last year’s ANCA Inaugural Summer Academy, he was deeply motivated to find his unique role in Armenian American advocacy.

This summer, he hopes to accomplish goals that will greatly contribute to advancing the Armenian-American Cause. By focusing on youth engagement projects and lobbying for pro-Armenian policies, he believes in bridging the gap between Armenian Americans and the greater community. A valuable lesson he was taught in Washington, DC was to never leave an ounce of potential on the table. Democracy is no spectator sport as we’re all merely specimens to this great experiment. Thus, he promises to commit every ounce of passion in order to educate the American public, motivate rising youth, and activate new solutions to achieve victory in a shared cause.

“Silence in the face of atrocity is not neutrality; silence in the face of atrocity is Acquiescence.” – Samantha Power, Former US Ambassador to the UN

Christina Sorfazian

Christina Sorfazian recently graduated from UCLA with a degree in Sociology and is currently on a pre-law track. She has been actively involved in various organizations and was on the board of the Armenian Pre-Law Student Association for the last two years. She is excited to be an intern at the ANCA-WR, and looks forward to the many projects that she will be working on during her tenure with the organization. In the future, she hopes to utilize her law degree to wage the legal battles of the Armenian Cause, whether that be advocating for genocide victims or through service in public office.

“The eyes of the Armenians speak long before the lips move and long after they cease to.” – Arshille Gorky

The ANCA Western Region Internship Program was established in 2006 in order to select students who aspire to advance the Armenian Cause through American politics, youth engagement, and project development. The 2022 Summer Session began in June; interested students can find more information on their website.

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues in pursuit of the Armenian Cause.

Dedication of AMAA’s Newly-Constructed Building of Ministry Center in Stepanavan

Karagyozian Lena
 Armenian Missionary Association of America Non-Profit 0

By Rev. L. Nishan Bakalian, coordinator of church relations of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East

AMAA Stepanavan Center

On July 3, 2022, overseas visitors and local church members made their way to the north of Armenia, to the city of Stepanavan, to offer praises to God for his many blessings, particularly for a trio of observances: the dedication of the Armenian Missionary Association of America’s (AMAA) newly constructed building of Ministry Center, the dedication of the renovated Evangelical Church of Armenia (ECA) building, and the service of praise and thanksgiving to God on the 175th anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church.

Children dancing at AMAA Stepanavan Center dedication

All three events were to have taken place one year ago, upon completion of the construction and reconstruction work, but due to the global pandemic everything was postponed. Nonetheless, AMAA staff and volunteers from the church were on hand and prepared to welcome the busloads of people and guide them to the stairs of the Center. A group of young girls in traditional costumes from the AMAA center’s dance group performed a graceful Armenian dance to open the ceremony. Invoking Psalm 127:1, AMAA president Dr. Nazareth Darakjian offered words of challenge to keep God as the foundation of the Center’s work, while AMAA executive director Zaven Khanjian spoke words of gratitude toward the benefactors who wished to honor the memory of three generations of their forbears, all for the good of today’s Armenia. ECA Senior Pastor Rev. Mgrdich Melkonian offered a prayer of dedication for the work that already began and will continue in this facility. The ribbon was cut, and the dedicatory plaque was unveiled. The Center’s workers began taking visitors to tour the myriad facilities within the building, which serves the needs of Stepanavan’s children in school subjects, the arts, as well as social and psychological needs.

Zaven Khanjian thanks the donors of Stepanavan Center

The group had to move across the grounds to the church sanctuary as the worship service was about to begin. The church’s pastor Rev. Hrant Badalyan opened the service with prayer and led the overall service, while the choir and pianist led the congregation in singing the Doxology, “Fairest Lord Jesus” and “The Church’s One Foundation.” Participants included pastors from all of the Armenian Evangelical Unions, beginning with Rev. Joel Mikaelian’s greetings to all in the congregation in the name of the Armenian Evangelical World Council (AEWC). 

Dr. Nazareth Darakjian brought a special message to the service, reminding the church that God resides not in manmade structures, but in the hearts of the people who comprise the church. Khanjian exhorted the church to make their aim to develop Christian character in young and old and to bring those virtues to help guide the Armenian nation in the ways of God. Following these words, Rev. Dr. Haroutune Selimian gave a prayer of dedication for the 175th anniversary of the Armenian Evangelical Church and its mission.

Shifting the focus to the dedication of the refurbished church building, Rev. Albert Paytyan, ECA president, presented a historical narrative of the Armenian Evangelical community of Stepanavan, dating from over a century ago, and noting that the Stepanavan church was the first church structure to be built by the AMAA in Armenia. Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian’s moving prayer of dedication for the church brought each aspect of the worship life of the Armenian Evangelical community of Stepanavan before God, asking for the Holy Spirit to be present at every moment in their corporate and individual lives.

In his sermon, Rev. Badalyan applied the message of “Where Is Christ?” (Rev. 3:20) to the special occasions being celebrated that day, as well as to the individual lives of believers any day. With humor as well as conviction, he spoke of the ways Christians keep Christ from entering into their inner world and exhorted all to be warm-hearted toward the Lord as the key to the vitality of the local as well as worldwide church.

In closing the service with the singing the Lord’s Prayer, the hundreds in attendance expressed their unity in Christ and their love for the Armenian nation. After the service ended, the enthusiastic interaction between worshipers continued, while tours resumed next door. A generous table was spread for visitors to enjoy lunch and fellowship, with singers presenting Armenian songs and bringing hosts and guests alike to their feet in Armenian dancing. After exchanging farewells and promises of meeting again in Armenia, the attendees began their long journey back to Yerevan and onward, with God’s praises in their hearts for these days of blessing.

Guests at AMAA Stepanavan Center opening

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The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) was founded in 1918, in Worcester, MA, and incorporated as a non-profit charitable organization in 1920 in the State of New York. We are a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Our purpose is to serve the physical and spiritual needs of people everywhere, both at home and overseas. To fulfill this worldwide mission, we maintain a range of educational, evangelistic, relief, social service, church and child care ministries in 24 countries around the world.