Author: Karakhanian Suren

Government Wants to Take Over 3 Public Universities

Karakhanian Suren

May 7, 2021



The Yerevan State University is one of three public universities that the government wants to take over

YEREVAN (Azatutyun.am)—The Armenian government is continuing its efforts to gain direct control of three of the country’s leading state universities two weeks after President Armen Sarkissian blocked a relevant bill pushed by it through the parliament.

The bill passed by the National Assembly in late March would empower the government to appoint most members of the boards of trustees that elect university rectors and make other key decisions.

Yerevan State University (YSU) and the National Academy of Sciences strongly opposed these changes, saying that they would violate a clause in the Armenian constitution which entitles state-funded colleges to a high degree of autonomy.

Sarkissian likewise suggested that they are “contentious in terms of constitutionality” when he announced on April 22 his decision not to sign the bill into law. He also asked the Constitutional Court to rule on its conformity with the constitution.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government pressed ahead with the same changes through an executive order issued earlier this week.

The order stipulates that YSU, the Armenian State Pedagogical University and Gyumri State University will have new governing boards consisting of 20 members. Thirteen of them are to be appointed by the government and the Ministry of Education, while the seven others will be chosen by their faculties and students.

All four parties have been equally represented in the boards until now.

A senior Ministry of Education official defended on Friday the changes sought by the government, saying that they are needed to address a “management vacuum” within the universities. She claimed that their current boards have failed to properly perform their duties.

The official argued that the current YSU board is paralyzed and even unable to formally accept the resignation of the university’s acting rector.

Critics countered that the government itself engineered the paralysis by recalling its appointees from the board earlier this year.

Vahe Hovannisyan, an YSU professor, deplored the “abrupt” decision made by the government after Sarkissian’s appeal to the Constitutional Court. He warned that the three universities will be thrust into deeper turmoil if the court declares the controversial bill unconstitutional.
Hovannisian also said: “Taking the universities under control or changing their boards of trustees does not serve any development purpose.”

Armenia’s human rights ombudsman, Arman Tatoyan, also condemned the government’s executive order, pledging to challenge its legality in the Constitutional Court.

“I believe that this initiative by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports is disrespectful towards the president of the republic and the Constitutional Court,” he said on Thursday, adding that the problems cited by ministry officials are “artificial.”

“I have grounds to presume that the government caused a problem and is now trying to solve it at the expense of university autonomy,” said Tatoyan. “I believe this is unacceptable.”
Pashinyan and his associates, among them young scholars, pledged to give universities more freedom from the government right after they swept to power three years ago.

Artsakh Foreign Ministry welcomes letter of 121 MEPs calling for release of Armenian POWs

Karakhanian Suren

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 19:43, 4 May, 2021

STEPANAKERT, MAY 4, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of foreign affairs of the Republic of Artsakh welcomed the letter initiated by over 120 Members of the European Parliament, urging the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council to demand the release of Armenian prisoners of war held by Azerbaijan.

“We commend the letter by 121 members of the European Parliament addressed to the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council on urgent need to release Armenian Prisoners of War currently unlawfully held in Azerbaijan. We highly appreciate the position of the members of the European Parliament to voice about the violations by Azerbaijan of international humanitarian law and uphold the legal demand by Artsakh. This is an exemplary manifestation of humanism, moral values and adherence to norms and principles of international law”, the Artsakh foreign ministry said in a statement.

More than 120 Members of the European Parliament have initiated a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Charles Michel, President of the European Council, urging them to demand the release of Armenian prisoners of war held by Azerbaijan.

The letter has been initiated by MEPs Andrey Kovatchev (Bulgaria), Loucas Fourlas (Cyprus) and François-Xavier Bellamy (France).

In their letter the MEPs reminded that Armenia released all prisoners of war it held, remaining committed to the trilateral statement signed on November 10, 2020. “This is not the case with Azerbaijan: not only does it still hold Armenian prisoners, but it is also suspected of having made new prisoners, including civilians, after the official end of hostilities. It is difficult to precisely draw up the number of remaining prisoners and captives, due to the high number of missing persons and the lack of cooperation from the Azerbaijani side, but it would include 72 people whose captivity Azerbaijan admits, 112 people about whom Azerbaijan did not provide any information , and 61 people whose captivity Azerbaijan categorically denies, but about whom there is concrete evidence to the contrary”, the letter says.

The MEPs noted that this is not only a violation of humanitarian law, but also contradicts to Azerbaijan’s clams to move to normalization and reconciliation.

The lawmaker stated that all prisoners and detained should be released without any precondition.

They also touched upon the facts of torture, violence against the Armenian POWs and civilians, the proofs of which are often provided by their authors, who themselves publish them on the Internet.

“Armenia, a friend of Europe, has already paid a very high price in this conflict, and still has to suffer this inhuman situation: many Armenian families are awaiting to know if their children died during the war, or if they are prisoners – thus possibly threatened to die, after the ceasefire, of the conditions of their detention.

The European Union can no longer leave Armenia in this unbearable situation; we must act so that violence does not once again take precedence over the law. We are proud of the principles that bind us together: they must urge us today to bring all our weight, and use all levers at our disposal, to demand that Azerbaijan purely and solely respect international law. If Europe wishes to fulfill its commitments, it must ensure that this violation of international law in its neighborhood does not become a tragic precedent.  Otherwise, its silence and inaction will turn into historical responsibility.

As Members of the European Parliament, we ask you to act to demand the return of all Armenian prisoners of war to their country”, the MEPs said in their letter.





Unblocking communications can alter economic situation in entire region – Pashinyan tells Mishustin

Karakhanian Suren

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 18:52,

YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan particularly emphasized the role of Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin in stopping the war in Nagorno Karabakh during the meeting with Russian PM Mikhail Mishustin. ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan assessed the activities of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno Karabakh as effective.

‘’I want to also point out the activities of the trilateral working group, co-chaired by the Deputy PMs of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan. We have a constructive approach to this issue. I have to note that we greatly appreciate the works of the trilateral working group, since the unblocking of the regional communications can alter the economic situation in our region and strengthen the economic relations and integration between Armenia and Russia. In this context, I want to mention Russian Deputy PM Alexei Overchuk’s important and constructive role. We really greatly appreciate his work and hope it will lead to concrete results. It’s clear for everyone that it’s important not only for our region, but our region in a broader sense, since we are talking about the restoration of links between the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Russian Federation. This can really become a powerful economic factor for the development of the Eurasian Economic Union. I wish to once again confirm that we have a constructive stance and hope that the ongoing works will lead to concrete results that will bring stability, peace and welfare to our region’’, Nikol Pashinyan said.


Azerbaijan trying to solve disputed issues in barbaric, not civilized manners – Head of parliament

Karakhanian Suren

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 18:55, 20 April, 2021

YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan gave a speech at the Euronest PA 9th Session, where he particularly referred to the Azerbaijani – Turkish aggression against Artsakh, noting that Azerbaijan’s xenophobic and hateful behavior clearly demonstrates that Azerbaijan is trying to resolve the contentious issues through the barbaric and uncivilized means. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, Mirzoyan particularly said,

”Excellencies,

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to address the 9th Ordinary Session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. From the very beginning of its establishment, the Euronest has been playing, and I hope will continue to play a uniting role between the European Union and Eastern Partner countries, thus contributing to the promotion of the values that constitute the cornerstones of the Eastern Partnership.

I firmly believe that we shall continue to foster our common goals respecting and fairly evaluating vital interests and priorities of each member state of the Assembly.

I would like to underscore the importance of Armenia’s cooperation with the European Union, in particular, within the framework of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union, which fully entered into force on March 1, 2021. The Agreement elevates the bilateral relations between Armenia and the European Union to a new, higher level. It is an inclusive document, which creates a solid legal basis for the partnership between the two sides, outlines the framework of cooperation in various areas, ranging from justice, security, economy, agriculture, and infrastructure to the environment and climate, education, science, culture, and health.

We are confident, that the effective implementation of the CEPA will bring tangible results for our citizens through the promotion of democracy, enhancement of the political, economic and social stability via extensive reforms, which will considerably improve the quality of life of our citizens.

In this regard, the Parliament of Armenia will bring its crucial contribution not only by supporting the executive bodies in implementing the Agreement, but also by playing its oversight role. We have already launched a Twinning project together with Greek and Italian Parliaments in order to build institutional capacity for proper oversight of CEPA agenda.

I would to take the opportunity and highlight the principles enshrined in CEPA, which reaffirms EU’s commitments to support the efforts and approaches of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, based on the principles of non-use of force, equal rights and people’s right to self-determination.

Nevertheless, just six months ago we witnessed a brutal violation of the principle of non-use of force by Azerbaijan: on 27 September 2020 Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale military offensive against Artsakh and ultimately Armenia. Despite many facts proving that Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, directly supported by Turkey and the latter’s affiliated foreign terrorist fighters had a pre-planned manner, Azerbaijan still cynically blames Armenia in provoking the war, where they demonstrated unprecedented violence and committed massive war crimes.The 44-day aggressive war resulted in huge human losses and immeasurable material damage. Taking the chance, I would like to thank all the MEPs, who stood on the side of truth condemning actions of Azerbaijani side.

Consistent and deliberate violations of the November 9 Trilateral Statement by Azerbaijan continue to seriously undermine a full implementation of the Statement and poses new challenges for regional peace and security.

The obligation to release and repatriate the prisoners of war, as well as of the hostages and other detainees, is unequivocally stipulated in the November 9 Statement. However, the Azerbaijani side continues to disregard its own commitments under various pretexts. It was also stated by distinguished members of EP Marina Kaljurand, Andrey Kovatchev and Željana Zovko that Azerbaijani government has failed to comply with the interim measures of the European Court of Human Rights which ordered Azerbaijan to provide information on the conditions of detention of the detainees, their state of health, as well as the measures taken to return them. I want to make it clear for our European partners that such actions of Azerbaijan create serious risks for opening the regional infrastructures and creating stability in the South Caucasus.

Moreover, Azerbaijani government continues its policy of Armenophobia, which they have been feeding their citizens for decades. Just a few days ago Azerbaijan has demonstrated another despicable example of hatred in the so-called Park of Military Trophies by displaying helmets of the Armenian soldiers killed during the war.

Xenophobic and hateful behaviour like this clearly demonstrates that Azerbaijan is trying to resolve the contentious issues through the barbaric and uncivilized means.

We urge our colleagues to condemn Azerbaijan’s unlawful and reprehensible actions. The return of the prisoners of war and other detained persons has to be completed as soon as possible – without any preconditions and artificially created obstacles.

To sum up, I want to state that Nagorno Karabakh conflict isn’t still solved, as the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination is not realized. We are confident to continue the negotiations of the peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of Minsk group Co-Chairmanship and call all our international partners to support the works of this format.

Dear colleagues,

Coming back to Armenian domestic affairs I would like to inform that political parties represented in the Parliament came to agreement to hold snap parliamentary elections on June 20. We have necessary political will to organize free and fair elections, as it was in 2018, where all the citizens of Armenia can demonstrate their will and form democratically elected government, which is the only legitimate way of power. I hope, that European Parliament together with other international partners will be present to conduct both long-term and short-term observation of elections. Despite all the difficulties caused by the COVID 19 and the war democratic changes in Armenia are irreversible.

Thank you for your attention’’.





Joe Biden ready to say massacre of Armenians was genocide

Karakhanian Suren
The Times, UK


Richard Spencer
Friday , 12.01am, The Times

A picture from 1915 shows soldiers standing over skulls of victims from the Armenian village of SheyxalanARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM INSTITUTE/GETTY IMAGES
Richard SpencerFriday , 12.01am, The Times

Massacres of Armenians in Turkey during the First World War are set to be officially declared a genocide by the United States, according to aides to President Biden.

The move, which will infuriate Ankara and signals a further step away from traditional US allies in the Middle East, will “probably” be announced tomorrow, US media reported. The day is marked annually as the start of the massacres in 1915.

President Erdogan of Turkey was preparing his response last night. He called an emergency meeting of advisers, at which he said he would “defend the truth against those who back the so-called ‘Armenia genocide’ lie”.

He has repeatedly warned of dire consequences against countries that recognise the events of a hundred years ago as a genocide.

Opinion | What formally recognizing the Armenian genocide means for humanity

Karakhanian Suren
Washington Post
Opinion by

David Ignatius
David Ignatius
Columnist covering foreign affairs
Columnist
at 9:42 p.m. UTC

When Vartan Gregorian was asked three years ago what it would mean for the United States to recognize the Armenian genocide of 1915, he characteristically looked forward, not back. “We intend to remain,” he said. “But what for? And that’s the point.”

Gregorian died last week at 87, a beloved former president of the Carnegie Corporation and Brown University, and the savior of the New York Public Library. He didn’t live to see the emotional moment that’s likely to come Saturday, when President Biden is expected to become the first U.S. president to formally affirm the fact of the Armenian genocide.

On Saturday, the annual day of remembrance for the 1.5 million victims of the genocide, Gregorian would probably have asked the same question that he posed in the March 2018 interview: “What is our duty as Armenians . . . to prevent others [from] facing the same thing we have faced?” How do we show our compassion for those who are mistreated today, as our ancestors were?

Armenians around the world surely will rejoice in Biden’s planned announcement. They will celebrate the affirmation of justice and truth after so many decades of Turkish denial of the horrific events of 1915. But I hope they will also think, as Gregorian would have, about how to build bridges now to help Turkey escape from the horrors of its history.

Saturday ought to be a day when Turks, too, are liberated from the past. Denial of the genocide has wounded Armenians, but it has also damaged Turkey. Historians have long affirmed the truth of what happened, including Turkish scholar Taner Akcam in his detailed study of Ottoman sources, titled “A Shameful Act.”

Denial of these facts has been a dead weight around Turkey’s neck, as if dragging the past into the future. Turkey’s continuing anger has been manifest, too, in its support for Azerbaijan’s war against Armenia over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Time to let it go, in Ankara and Istanbul, and the ruins of towns and villages of Anatolia that are haunted by the ghosts of 1915.

My father’s family came from one of those towns, a place called Kharpert in what’s now northeastern Turkey. My great-grandfather attended Euphrates College there, founded by American missionaries, and then migrated to England and the United States, where his daughter met my grandfather, who had come to America from that same town in 1903. But other relatives stayed, and they experienced the terrible events of 1915: Men were separated from women and children and, despite resistance, slaughtered; women and children were sent on a death march across the desert toward Syria in which many perished.

Gregorian said that when he was a boy in Tabriz, Iran, in the 1930s, people didn’t discuss the genocide that had happened two decades before. Iran was friendly with Turkey, and so it “was not spoken about,” Gregorian said. Armenians talked simply of “the dead,” and the refugees who had streamed into Tabriz, Beirut, Aleppo and a hundred other towns where they made new lives.

The past is always with us. We never forget, even when we try. But Gregorian was part of a movement that sought to use the experience of the genocide not to fuel bitterness and revenge, but to look outward and celebrate the spirit that had allowed the Armenian people to survive and prosper, and eventually rebuild an independent nation.

This movement is called the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. It was co-founded in 2015 by Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan, a businessman who co-founded the biotech company Moderna, which has produced a coronavirus vaccine, and Ruben Vardanyan, a Russian-Armenian businessman and philanthropist. It takes its name from Aurora Mardiganian, an orphan of the genocide who became a symbol of suffering and survival. The group’s motto is “gratitude in action” — celebrating the heroes in our time whose humanitarian actions have saved others.

Each year, Aurora honors laureates who struggle against genocidal violence in our time: Burundian activist Marguerite Barankitse won the award in 2016; American physician Tom Catena, who runs a clinic in the desolate Nuba Mountains of Sudan, won in 2017; Rohingya human rights campaigner Kyaw Hla Aung received the prize in 2018; Yazidi activist Mirza Dinnayi won in 2019; and Somali women’s rights activists Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman were honored last year. I have served as master of ceremonies for five of these award ceremonies in Yerevan.

Justice is often denied and suppressed, as we know from the United States’ centuries-long struggle against racism. But there must be an eventual reckoning with the past, as we saw this week with the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin — and then, hopefully, we move into the future, sharing the blessing of truth and justice with others.

Read more from David Ignatius’s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.

Portantino to Continue Chairing Senate Armenia-Artsakh Select Committee

Karakhanian Suren



State Senator Anthony Portantino

SACRAMENTO—California State Senator Anthony J. Portantino announced Thursday the establishment of the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia, and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange for the 2021-22 Legislative Session.

“I am proud to once again Chair the Select Committee on California, Armenia, and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange and continue to strengthen this important partnership,” stated Portantino.

“California and the Republic of Armenia have a history of mutual cooperation and trade. By approving this Select Committee, the California State Senate expresses its commitment to expanding relations not only with Armenia, but also with the Republic of Artsakh. Given the recent tragic events that have devastated the country, it is more important than ever that California reaffirms its commitment to Artsakh’s sovereignty,” added Portantino.

At Portantino’s request, the California State Senate Rules Committee first established the historic Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia, and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange in 2017 to expand business opportunities through trade, economic development, cultural awareness, and education between California, Armenia, and Artsakh.  Senator Portantino also helped negotiate the historic Memorandum of Understanding between California and Armenia and joined Governor Newsom in New York for its historic and official signing.

Armenia has a flourishing high-tech industry, robust arts community, and a digital business corridor that is underutilized. California is the clear industry leader in these areas.  Both California and Armenian benefit from collaboration and cooperation.  Tourism is also a place where California would benefit from direct marketing of our modern Golden State while also highlighting the amazing and vast historical sites and landmarks of Armenia.

Additionally, there are educational opportunities that need to be explored and cultivated.  As California recently passed Armenian Genocide Education Curriculum for inclusion in social studies textbooks, the opportunity to facilitate teacher training and professional development trips would also be a priority of the Committee.  Armenia’s educational systems are highly respected and in fact, cutting edge.

An after school program – the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies – is the envy of many countries and was funded and created by an Armenian American business leader from Texas.  Currently, there is a strong local effort to bring TUMO to California and this is an important endeavor that the Select Committee could take on.

California has the largest population of Armenian Americans in the country, with the 25th Senate District having the largest concentration of residents of Armenian heritage outside of Armenia. The continued work of the Senate Select Committee will have a direct role in building stronger economic and cultural ties between California, Armenia, and Artsakh.

Members of the Senate Select Committee on California, Armenia, and Artsakh Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange include Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno), Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), Senator Brian W. Jones (R-Santee), Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Senator Henry I. Stern (D-Los Angeles), Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita).

Sports: European Weightlifting Championships: Armenia finish 3rd in medal standings

Karakhanian Suren
News.am, Armenia

Armenia took third place in the overall medal standings at the European Weightlifting Championships that concluded Sunday in Moscow.

Armenia won 2 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals in combined totals.

Ukraine placed first, and Bulgaria—second.

Armenia came fifth, with 23 medals, in the team standings.

As reported earlier, the European Weightlifting Championships are a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.

Russian-made drones may be delivered to Armenia

Karakhanian Suren
TASS, Russia
April 7 2021
The Orion is a medium-altitude, long-duration unmanned aerial system with a maximum take-off weight of 1 tonne and a maximum payload weight of 200 kg

MOSCOW, April 7. /TASS/. The Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation does not rule out the possibility of delivering Russian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Armenia, Federal Service Spokeswoman Valeria Reshetnikova told TASS on Wednesday.

“As of today, we are offering a number of unmanned aerial vehicles for exports, in particular, the Orion-E reconnaissance system with a long-duration flight capability. In case of the corresponding requests from the Armenian side, we are ready to consider them in accordance with the established procedure,” the spokeswoman said.

The Orion is a medium-altitude, long-duration unmanned aerial system with a maximum take-off weight of 1 tonne and a maximum payload weight of 200 kg.

According to the data of the state arms seller Rosoboronexport, today the drone is offered for exports as an air reconnaissance system. At the same time, Orion drones in their strike version are arriving for the Russian troops.